Comms365, the innovative network services and IoT infrastructure company, announces it has been selected as a winner of the Geospatial Commission’s transport innovation competition.
In partnership with Innovate UK, the Geospatial Commission is funding winners of the £2 million transport location data competition, which looks at how location data can inspire innovation and support the future of mobility for the United Kingdom.
Comms365, working with its sub-contractors Cenex and IoTSi, has been awarded funding to develop an innovative feasibility study to help boost capacity and increase the efficiency of the UK’s transport networks. Comms365 aims to address a key challenge identified by electric vehicle drivers and charge point providers, of poor driver experience and low charge point utilisation. The study will focus on researching and designing solutions that optimise the use of electric vehicle charge points and improve the user experience.
To achieve these aims, the project will involve the use of geospatial data from connected sensors and live dynamic data from electric vehicle charge points to provide real time information on the availability of electric vehicle charge points in managed parking spaces.
Mike van Bunnens, Managing Director, Comms365 commented: “We are delighted to have won this competition to develop and deliver a solution to optimise the use of electric vehicle charge points and to improve the user experience utilising IoT sensors and geospatial data. This project is at the forefront of efforts to commercialise at scale the low carbon economy for vehicles and drivers, and we are grateful to the Geospatial Commission and InnovateUK for the opportunity to play a role in one of the most vibrant and important technology areas of the UK and the Global Economy”.
Chris Cox, Head of Energy Systems & Infrastructure at Cenex said “The role of data in improving the experience for EV drivers is an essential piece in the puzzle of decarbonising transport – the better the experience is, the more readily people will consider making the change. Therefore, we are extremely pleased to be part of such an important project and we are looking forwards to seeing innovative new solutions being rolled out in the real world, providing benefits to EV drivers across the UK and supporting the UK’s transition to a net-zero future.”
Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said: “From creating safer ways for people to travel to improving our supply chains and delivery, data is key for innovation in transport to prosper. I’m excited to see how the winners of this competition can change how we travel in the future, making our journeys easier, cleaner and more efficient.”
Innovate UK’s Deputy Executive Chair and Chief Business Officer, Simon Edmunds, added: “I am delighted that Innovate UK is delivering this exciting competition on behalf of the Geospatial Commission. There is a clear demand for innovative geospatial technologies to solve transport challenges and we are utilising the proven Small Business Research Initiative process to bring together challenge owners and innovators to deliver novel solutions. We had a very high response to the competition which was staggering and demonstrates the appetite for innovation in this area.”
