RIA Innovation Survey

Rail Innovation Survey A report into the perceptions of innovation in the rail industry December 2021

Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Headlin

80%

of respondents said it is 'Very Important' for the rail industry to be innovative

Respondents that feel that the rail industry is either extremely, very or quite innovative:

Over

60%

24%

of companies have received innovation funding in the last three years

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

ne Facts

56%

of respondents said the pandemic had a negative impact on progress

said RIA's Unlocking Innovation programme was communicating the innovation going on in the rail industry.

45% 1. Procurement 2. Sponsorship & champions

3. Product Approval Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ +44 (0) 20 7201 0777

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The top selected policies and processes which respondents felt have the biggest impact on innovation in rail.

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Foreword Our railway sector is highly innovative now we need to believe in it Defining innovation has never been easy, but I often think it is one of those areas where the term 'you know it, when you see it' applies.

overly complicated procurement processes. These are not issues that are easy to resolve, but we must be open to exploring different solutions.

And when it comes to our rail industry, we are surrounded by examples of innovative products and services that are changing the way passengers travel, supporting more freight to get around the UK, reducing costs, improving safety, reducing carbon and generally providing a more effective and reliable network.

Over a number of years, the Railway Industry Association's (RIA) Unlocking Innovation programme has sought to support businesses in getting innovations into the market - helping suppliers and clients in removing the barriers to innovating - and promoting the industry as an innovative sector. Over the past few years, working with strategic partners Network Rail and the UK Rail Research & Innovation Network (UKRRIN), we have made a renewed effort to support innovation across the sector.

Hydrogen and battery trains, the use of drones to map railway structures, the better use of data to understand how our railways are being used, the use of composite and recycled materials - these are just a few examples of the state-of-the-art, dynamic work the industry is delivering.

The two surveys presented in this report explore the perception of innovation in the industry and some of the opportunities and challenges to innovation. It shows a sector that is slowly growing in confidence in its ability to innovate, but also clearly sets out that the work is by no means done.

Yet, when it comes to perceptions of how innovative the rail sector is, we often are far more reticent about promoting our work.

As this survey shows, whilst the sector is building up its confidence to innovate, we still judge ourselves worse than other sectors like defence, automotive or finance.

We need to be honest about the reasons for this. Whilst the sector is good at developing new products and services, there are still many difficulties in getting them to market, from the improper use of standards to Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ +44 (0) 20 7201 0777

I hope it provides a useful contribution to the debate on how we deliver the best, most effective railway.

David Clarke, Technical Director, RIA

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Methodology This research aims to take a pulse on how the rail industry percieves innovation.

The following report analyses the results of two surveys undertaken 18 months apart in November 2019 and July 2021.

Both survey's have been conducted by the Pulse Business, an independent company. Respondents consist of those within the rail industry - suppliers, clients, industry groups and stakeholders.

The aim of the two Pulse surveys is to determine how the rail sector percieves itself in regard to innovation. The results examine what progress has been made within the industry to build up its confidence as an innovative, modern industry.

For further details about the survey, please contact ria@riagb.org.uk

November 2019 Pulse

July 2021 Pulse

• Sample size: 4,955

• Sample size: 4,315

• Responses: 295

• Responses: 327

• Response Rate: 6%

• Response Rate: 8%

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Innovation in UK Rail Industry respondents were asked how they percieve innovation across the rail industry.

Respondents were asked how important it was for the rail industry to be innovative, with responses showing relatively little change from November 2019 to July 2021.

In both surveys, the significant majority of respondents said it was 'Very Important' - 84% and 80% in 2019 and 2021 respectively, with 16% and 17% respectively responding 'Quite Important'.

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I can see some really good stuff happening, but I also see good ideas which get blocked.

Survey Respondent

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Respondents in Q2 were asked where the railway industry is on its innovation journey, with the majority, 57%, saying the industry is making 'some headway'. This question was not included in the 2019 survey.

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In Q3, positively, respondents felt rail was getting more innovative, with those saying rail was 'quite, very or extremely' innovative jumping by 12% points from 2019 to 2021.

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Sector Comparisons The surveys asked respondents to compare rail to other industries in terms of innovation.

Both the 2019 and 2021 surveys asked respondents how innovative they felt other sectors are, including finance, defence, automotive and transport as a whole.

Interestingly, although rail was seen as less innovative than the comparator sectors, rail was seen as getting more innovative from 2019 to 2021, whilst sectors like automotive and defence saw a drop in the perceptions of those sectors as innovative.

The reason for asking these questions was to see how rail professionals view other sectors in comparison to their own.

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

UKRRIN is supporting the industry on its innovation journey Jo Binstead, Chair of the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), highlights the opportunity the powerful network of academic instutitions and business provides.

The establishment of the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) came about following the publication in February 2016 of the Rail Supply Group Fast Track to the Future Strategy, where it was stated that there were four key areas that required development: market conditions for growth, people and skills, technology and innovation and export growth.

Industry and academia recognised that through a powerful collaboration it could support the industry ambitions.

UKRRIN now has four Centres of Excellence. The Centre of Excellence in Infrastructure led by the University of Southampton, which opened its National Infrastructure lab in September 2019. The Centre of Excellence in Rolling Stock, led by the University of Huddersfield which has new equipment installed, commissioned and available for use from October 2021. The Centre of Excellence in Digital Systems, led by the University of Birmingham which opened its new facilities in July 2021. The Centre of Excellence in testing which is led by Network Rail and incorporates access to existing at-scale test facilities including Network Rail’s Rail Innovation & Development Centres (RIDCs) in Melton in Leicestershire and Tuxford in Nottinghamshire, Transport for London (Acton and Stratford), and Quinton Rail Technology Centre (QRTC) at Long Marston.

UKRRIN is managed collaboratively by industry and academia, and since its launch in 2018, UKRRIN has delivered over £18m of co-investment in research, development, and innovation projects. It has signed a research framework worth a minimum of £10m with Network Rail. It has signed an R&D agreement valued at a minimum of £0.5m with HS2. It has, together with RSSB and Network Rail launched the “new” Rail Technical Strategy. The Digital Centre

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

has launched HydroFLEX the first hydrogen train on the UK network. The Infrastructure Centre has completed significant research into overhead line equipment foundations.

The Rolling Stock Centre has developed a carbon fibre bogie together with the RSSB. UKRRIN has also delivered social, economic, and environmental benefits, developing technology for a better and sustainable future. Promoting industry to attract skills, diversity, and talent, demonstrating a national presence across its supply chain and academic membership, promoting the UK rail industry on the national stage, with UKRRIN members, RSSB and University of Birmingham hosting WCRR 2022.

The UK, through UKRRIN now has facilities, capabilities and expertise that will not only make a significant contribution to delivering on the aims set out in the Williams Shapps White Paper, but also be exported and adopted on a global scale with the UKRRIN model of knowledge exchange, collaboration and world class research and innovation an exemplar for how industry and academia can overcome barriers to innovation and adoption of new technology.

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Innovation can only succeed if the incentives of all stakeholders are aligned, which requires effective industry sponsorship and champions.

Survey Respondent

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

The full results for the sector comparisons are as follows:

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

The R&D Portfolio is changing the way we work on the railway David Rowe, Head of Strategy at Network Rail, sets out how the Research & Development Portfolio is transforming the way the sector works.

CP6 has put Network Rail in the privileged position of targeting £245M investment for innovation. This funding is proving to be a catalyst for change.

We’ve not only seen some amazing products and solutions emerge such as the Prometheus drone and FLOW bridge, we’ve shown that we can work together to be agile and that we can learn and adapt quickly.

Take the accelerated innovation programme. Ideas sourced from our regions, taken to proof of concept in a few months and first deployed within 12 months.

Accessing innovators through our ‘innovation factory’ partnership and judged as leading practice by the Association of Project Managers.

And we’re using procurement approaches such as Design Contests and SBRI that put innovation in the hands of suppliers. Enabling technology approaches to be developed and tested competitively whilst managing risk to all parties, from solutions that protect passengers at stations to inspecting tunnels.

Recognising the importance of sponsorship, the Portfolio links closely with the challenges of the Rail Technical Strategy and the opportunities created under the DfT/Innovate UK First of a Kind competition. In 2020 Network Rail supported 11 winners and in the latest round we discussed 100 ideas with innovators, 12 of which are now progressing.

The transformation happening here is about collaboration across the rail industry. We have taken a big step under this R&D Portfolio, supported by developments such as free access to standards and improvements to product approvals. It’s great to have the insights from this survey to help continue the journey together and make innovation part of our every day.

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Factors for Innovation Respondents were asked what policies and processes would support the uptake of innovation.

Facilities, resources, policies and processes all have an impact on how innovative the rail sector can be.

When asked which policies and processes had the greatest impact on innovation in rail, respondents said procurement was the main issue in both 2019 and 2021.

However, industry sponsorship and champions had risen by 7% points over the two surveys.

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The survey asked respondents what they felt were the biggest factors for innovation in rail.

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The industry is extremely conservative when it comes to the risk of innovative products and processes Survey Respondent

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

How Unlocking Innovation can support you For more than a decade, Unlocking Innovation has showcased new ideas and thinking from across the industry, reaching thousands of people and making the case for the sector as a leading light for innovation.

The programme helps to build new supply chains, supports clients in finding creative solutions and showcases the incredible work going on by businesses to deliver a bigger, better rail network. Unlocking Innovation has connected thousands of people, for more than a decade, in all parts of the UK. How does it work?

• We hold around five Unlocking Innovation events each year, looking at different issues within the rail industry. These events are held all around the UK, are free to attend and open to all. They give the industry’s innovators a place to network and connect, hear from industry experts and for newcomers to the industry to find out how they can navigate the world of rail. These events, alongside RIA’s flagship and award-winning Innovation Conference, are a great way to find your footing in the sector.

• A regular feature of Unlocking Innovation events are the 'elevator pitches', where those with new ideas, or those looking for collaborators, give a short three minute presentation.

• We help support an online community of innovators, with our Innovation Group, which regularly receives communications and intelligence on the latest developments in rail.

• We promote the sector as one at the cutting edge of technology, showcasing the new products and services on the network, many of which go unseen by passengers and the public.

Find out more at www.riagb.org.uk/UnlockingInnovation Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ +44 (0) 20 7201 0777

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

When it came to facilities and resources, respondents said the availability of innovation funding was the key factor, yet those responding this way had dropped 5% points from 2021 to 2019.

The availability of testing and trailling facilities, however, had increased as a factor, rising 7% points from 2019 to 2021.

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Innovation funding ensures an innovation project happens and the support facilities such as track access, rolling stock and testing, to support the innovation then happen.

Survey Respondent

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

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Innovation at all levels and in all areas is required to drive efficiency, safety, and productivity.

Survey Respondent

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The bottleneck is procurement, and standards.

Survey Respondent

Given Q9 asks respondents about funding, the survey also asked whether the respondent had received funding in the last three years.

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The response was very similar from 2019 to 2021, with around three quarters responding no, and a quarter saying they had received funding.

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Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

Other Questions Respondents also were asked new questions about the impact of Coronavirus and RIA's Unlocking Innovation programme.

Given the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all parts of the rail industry, a new question was included to see how it had effected planned innovation projects.

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The responses showed that 56% had felt the pandemic had had a negative impact on progress, with 23% saying it had sped up projects.

The general construction industry has carried on primarily throughout the pandemic, however its taken longer to get innovations through "Teams" [which] will never be as quick as "face to face".

Survey Respondent

Kings Buildings, 16 Smith Square, London SW1P 3HQ +44 (0) 20 7201 0777

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ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk

Rail Innovation Survey December 2021

RIA's Unlocking Innovation programme seeks to bring rail suppliers together to promote innovation and the work they do.

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The survey asked respondents if they felt the programme was effectively communicating innovation in the industry.

Find ways to innovate faster in an open and collaborative manner and on a whole life, whole system basis Survey Respondent

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