By rosebell
The sixth cohort of firms that have been selected to join its latest Innovation Accelerator program, were unveiled by HS2 Ltd.
In order to helping the businesses to develop innovative software solutions and technology ultimately that intended to help streamline delivery of major infrastructure, they will benefit from a bespoke 20-week program of business support designed.
Automation of construction site handover, speeding up design, as well as strengthening the role of the circular economy during site decommissioning, are the contents of this program.
The partner of HS2 Ltd’s Innovation Accelerator program is the Connected Places Catapult.
With the aim of developing handover technologies that efficiently and accurately verify as-built assets to approved designs, SMEs BuildPrompt, Document Crunch and Morta are going to use their time in the Accelerator. Additionally, capturing and interpreting diverse unstructured datasets, including drawings and handwritten documents, will be able by automating the currently manual process of document review and approval by harnessing machine learning algorithms.
Madaster will develop technologies to enhance the circular economy during site decommissioning through creation of a material passport that captures the potential value of reuse elsewhere.
As specialists Simalytica and Xinaps will speed up design through, for example, harnessing artificial intelligence to optimise design, and automate design generation assessment.
According to HS2 senior innovation manager Jon Kelly: “Through the Accelerator programme, HS2 was maintaining the flow of new ideas and technology into delivering high speed rail in the UK as it transitions from civil engineering works to rail systems. Future application of technologies developed on HS2 have the potential to drive efficiencies across the construction and rail industries.”
The firms’ solutions will be showcased and pitched to industry investors and HS2’s supply chain, following development in the program.
While the HS2 Innovation Accelerator was commissioned in September 2020, it has supported 31 small businesses through five earlier cohorts that have collectively secured 24 pilot projects across HS2. These businesses have raised over £220m in investment and funding, and more than doubled their team headcount.
Currently the applications are open for the Accelerator’s seventh round.
