Rail freight booking service RailX is one of a number of transport partners that will work alongside startup companies to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to industry challenges.
As part of Digital Catapult’s High Growth AI Accelerator for transport programme, the company will work to drive the adoption of AI and machine learning as it works to solve ongoing operational challenges, whilst also progressing decarbonisation and efficiency goals.
“There is huge potential for AI to have a transformative effect on both efficiency and productivity for these projects spanning from London to north-east England and across different transport modes” – Sara El-Hanfy
Through the new accelerator, RailX will work alongside Atera Analytics Ltd, Singular Intelligence Limited and iPurvey to develop ways that rail and road freight bookings can be automated and optimised. This will contribute to the decarbonisation of the booking process, whilst also improving efficiency and productivity, which is a key part of RailX’s long-term commercial success.
This work will also help to demonstrate the value of AI and machine learning in the process of making further sustainability gains across the rail freight sector, and the wider transport sector as a whole.
Speaking about the influence that this project can have on transport, Innovate UK’s Head of Artificial Intelligence, Sara El-Hanfy, said:
“It is inspiring to see the projects moving forward as part of the High Growth Accelerator. As part of the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, this initiative shows how the cohort of companies joining could influence and accelerate the adoption of AI. There is huge potential for AI to have a transformative effect on both efficiency and productivity for these projects spanning from London to north-east England and across different transport modes, promising wide-reaching benefits for the sector.”
With the announcement of this news comes the beginning of a 14-week programme that will see each of the startup companies involved across the wider programme provided with a range of resources by Digital Catapult. These include computational power, strategic guidance, holistic diagnostics, and tailored support, as well as access to an ecosystem of developers and peer learning to ensure that expertise and capabilities can be developed.
Jessica Rushworth, Chief Strategy and Policy Officer at Digital Catapult, also commented:
“The BridgeAI transport accelerator holds the potential to address critical challenges within the sector and open up several new avenues for economic growth and investment. Achieving efficiency, productivity and sustainability gains in the transport industry will be a key determinant to fostering sustainable sectoral growth.”
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