Review | RIA Innovation Conference 2021

@railindustry | #RIARIC21

RIA Innovation Conference 2021 Railway of the Future 28-30 April, virtual

EVENT REVIEW as of 24/05/2021

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

CONTENT Day 1 at a glance

4

Day 2 at a glance

10

Day 3 at a glance

17

Workshops

23

Sponsors & exhibitors

24

Table sessions

33

Feedback from conference attendees

34

Our sponsors

35

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3

Day 1

at a glance Wednesday 28 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

We kicked off the RIA Innovation Conference with a range of exciting keynotes, networking sessions and workshops, and even some participative beer tasting entertainment.

'Innovation' is the word of the day The Conference began with an introduction from RIA Chief Executive Darren Caplan and Technical Director David Clarke, with both setting out the need for an innovative, effective, digitalised and green rail industry.

Darren Caplan's opening remarks made the case that we should be positive about the prospects for rail in the future, as passenger numbers bounce back post Coronavirus. He also gently lobbied the Rail Minister – due to speak after him – on two issues: • Firstly, visibility of the Government’s plans for UK rail, with the Williams Review, Integrated Rail Plan, the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, and the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline all needing to be published soon to give rail suppliers the chance to plan for the future; and • Secondly, for the Government to commit to RIA’s Rail Decarbonisation 21 'asks' ahead of COP26 in November 2021 - to initiate a rolling programme of electrification and support hydrogen and battery powered trains – enabling the DfT to demonstrate a global leadership role this year.

David Clarke set out the theme of the Conference - 'The Railway of The Future', and launched the new Unlocking Innovation website - a new hub for innovation across the rail sector. Have a look here!

He also launched RIA's new collaboration with ITN Productions - 'MADE With Rail', a new industry programme highlighting the latest developments in Materials, Automation, Data and Energy (MADE) in rail. Watch the video here.

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4

Day 1

at a glance Wednesday 28 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Keep an eye out "for the next few weeks" The first keynote speaker was Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP who set out some of the upcoming developments the rail industry could expect over the coming months and which innovations in rail he was most excited about.

Joking about the Williams Rail Review, Heaton-Harris said that when the review started 'I had hair', but that it had understandably been delayed by a General Election, Brexit, a pandemic and now the local elections. He said, however that it would be out, along with a number of other key Government reports, in 'the next few weeks'.

On decarbonisation, Heaton-Harris said that the Government had big plans for rail and that upcoming policy decisions would make those at the Conference 'very happy'. He said he was particularly excited about projects like the development of hydrogen trains and that electrification had a significant role to play.

He also spoke about the role of Rail Project SPEED in reducing costs, the benefits set out in the Rail Technical Strategy and the role of digital signalling projects. His key message: watch this space, some exciting announcements are on the way!

Rail Technical Strategy: Setting out the future of the industry The first panel discussion focused on the new Rail Technical Strategy (RTS), the joint industry plan to meet the challenges the railway will face over the coming years. You can find out more about the RTS here.

The panel discussed three of the key priorities of the RTS, the first of which was Easy to Use for All. Sharon Odetunde of RSSB started off by highlighting how the industry is working to remove exclusionary barriers for passengers, making rail attractive and services more personalised.

Charlene Wallace of Network Rail added that this was a key part of their vision to put passengers first.

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Day 1

at a glance Wednesday 28 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Clive Roberts of BCRRE spoke next about the Optimised Train Operations RTS priority, setting out the benefits of more flexible and reliable train timetables. He was joined by Mark Fielding-Smith of Atkins, who said that the East Coast Digitalisation Programme was 'game-changing', delivering a step change in how the industry collaborates.

The last priority to be explored was Reliable and Easy to Maintain. David Rowe of Network Rail highlighted that the reliability of assets underpins the passenger and freight experience, and is crucial for safety on our railways. David White of HS2 Ltd set out how they were using data more effectively to manage their assets and take a whole systems approach.

So how should the industry get involved with the RTS? Jo Binstead of Siemens and Chair of UKRRIN led the call for case studies from across the industry and for industry professionals to join the upcoming conference workshops and sessions.

Luisa Moisio of RSSB emphasised that the RTS was a joint industry collaboration and that they wanted to work with organisations across the sector. She added they are building a database of who is doing what across the industry and enhancing their long term plan.

You can find out more about getting involved with the RTS here, or email rts@rssb.co.uk

'Turning Data into Information' The first session of the afternoon focussed on data driven growth, one of the other key priorities of the RTS. Ian Mclaren of GTR kicked off the session with an overview of their DataHub project.

"Data needs to be seen as a raw material" he said, explaining how GTR is making its data and apps freely available through the data market place.

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Day 1

at a glance Wednesday 28 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

"The process is incremental" he added, urging those considering utilising data sources to continue seeing how they can improve their products over a period of time. Giving a real life example, he set out GTR's location and train cleaning app, their Desk Booking app and their Covid testing app, amongst others, all of which are being made available to the industry.

Next, James Bain of Worldline said the rail industry needed to focus more on the consumer. He spoke about the Rail Data Marketplace which the industry is working with Government on, a project aimed at supporting the sharing of data. He emphasised that this was a time 'to be brave and not be nervous' when it comes to sharing data.

Ian Bridges of Balfour Beatty joined the virtual stage next, the newly appointed President of the Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers. He spoke about RCM Squared - using data to deliver predictive maintenance, thereby helping to stop unnecessary maintenance, which can reduce costs and carbon by requiring less work.

"By collecting more data, such as temperature on site or whether its a windy day" we can find out why and when assets need maintenance, he added. He also highlighted the use of digital twins particularly as a way of understanding assets more.

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7

Day 1

at a glance Wednesday 28 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

The next speaker was Irina Parsina of Microsoft Teams Engineering, who spoke about the human factor of data and innovation - highlighting the value that people bring to data. "The industry has been a bit slow" to fully embrace data, digital twins or predictive maintenance, she added, but ended by highlighting the big opportunity for the sector. Irina will be returning to give a Keynote to the conference on Friday.

Will Wilson of Siemens concluded the panel. Having real time data was increasingly essential, he said, particularly given Covid and the need to reassure passengers by monitoring train load patterns, for example.

Speaking about Eurostar trains, Will said that "the data we extract on a real time basis is more than we can ever process", so it needs to be provided clearly and accessibly. "It can reduce the cost of operations" he added, raising this benefit as one of the most exciting aspects of new and emerging data sources.

Virtual beer tasting with Milda and the London Beer Lab Evening entertainment of Day 1 included a unique virtual beer tasting with the London Beer Lab, hosted by RIA Senior Technical and Policy Manager, Milda Manomaityte.

Full Conference ticket holders received a box with 8 beers (4 different types) to try during the virtual tasting. We live-streamed this activity from the London Beer Brewery in Brixton and had a fantastic night, which also included Deliveroo dinner, as part of the evening package.

Delegates could interact with each other through the Digi-Lounge platform, which offered attendees the possibility of visiting different virtual tables to have a chat and enjoy of the evening together.

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8

Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Day Two of the RIA Innovation Conference saw some fascinating sessions, including West Coast Partnership Development's Managing Director Caroline Donaldson, Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines OBE, Knorr-Bremse's Martin Ertl and a panel of industry experts! And, of course, lots of networking on our Digi-Lounge platform!

The operator's perspective on innovation Opening the day, West Coast Partnership Development's Caroline Donaldson presented on the work they are doing to encourage innovation in high speed rail in the UK. Caroline was very clear about what the opportunities to put passenger experience truly at the heart of what the industry does, focusing on comfort, hygiene and 'at seat' services.

On HS2, the rolling stock, currently being procured, offers huge opportunities to transform the passenger experience. Caroline highlighted the benefit they are getting from the lessons from other projects illustrating this with the example of Thameslink successfully pioneering 'ATO over ETCS' for train control. She explained the railway needs a "continuous improvement" mindset - HS2 will be with us for decades and passenger needs will change over time, so their aim is to work with suppliers “who are proactive, flexible and grow with us”.

Caroline issued a clear call to arms to the supply chain, telling businesses to get in touch if there are any of these areas where they can contribute. To close, our host LJ Rich asked what Caroline was most excited about in innovation. She responded: technology to inform passengers and to help them feel confident and calm in their experience, using technologies such as predicative AI and seat positioning.

The Three 'C's...

Following swiftly on, we welcomed Network Rail's Chief Technology Officer Robert Ampomah. Setting the scene, Robert addressed the various challenges that rail will face in the coming years, including around overcrowding, climate change, the need for adaptation and resilience.

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Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

On the climate he stressed the increasing threat from extreme weather and the ambitious Government target to cut carbon by 78% by 2035.

Robert was clear that, as an industry, we are still doing some archaic things – manual train coupling, manual inspections and maintenance. There is a real need to shift to automatic train coupling and “get ourselves out of the dark ages through mechanisation." "And that opportunity is now” he claimed.

Network Rail estimate that through their R&D investment, they have reaped c.£300million in benefits for the railway network, citing examples of projects going on ahead of CP7, such as T190+, data sandbox and fibre sensing, automated repair, cost-efficient electrification and earthworks stabilisation.

And to wrap up, we heard Robert's 'Three Cs' for what rail innovation should be: • Collaboration • Creativity • Cost reduction We love Robert's 'Three Cs' for innovation... almost as much as we like...

...Andrew Haines' 'Three Ss' Rounding out this morning's keynote sessions was Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines OBE, who gave a very open and honest live interview with RIA Technical Director David Clarke.

Andrew began by thanking the industry for its "outstanding achievements" and collaboration over the last year. He also added that Network Rail is ahead on renewals for CP6 despite the pandemic.

David then asked Andrew what he imagines the railway of the future will look like.

Andrew gave the next mnemonic of the day - his three S's: Safe, Simple, and Sustainable.

On safety, he said passengers often take it for granted which is good. But as an industry we had to remain vigilant - the tragic single passenger casualty at Carmont could have been more if not for Covid. On simplicity, he is very positive about what the Williams Rail Review is doing and awaits the report.

On the need for simplicity, Haines observed that the lack of R&D funding and over fragmentation of the industry has acted as barriers to innovation. And on sustainability,

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Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

he stressed that climate change is today’s problem, not something happening tomorrow.

As Carmont showed: "We have water management systems that are not ready for the level of rainfall today."

We also need to demonstrate to the Treasury why they should invest in rail. To do so, the Government needs to be able to rely on us to deliver at a price you can commit to, he added.

On net zero, he said the argument needs to be that even though rail is low carbon already we shouldn't wait for deadlines – decarbonisation is cheaper, more affordable and effective if you start now.

From RIA's perspective, it was great to hear Haines recognise the importance of visibility of upcoming work for suppliers, as well as the work to decarbonise - mentioning that the first contract for TransPennine Route Upgrade electrification came in just under budget.

Procurement and diversity are innovation challenges Procurement challenges and workforce diversity were among a broad range of topics addressed during the ‘Innovation for Economic Growth’ session. A six-strong panel tackled the opportunities and obstacles for innovation in the sector as it looks to help the country to ‘build back better’.

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Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Elspeth Finch MBE, Chief Executive and Founder of IAND, kicked things off, citing numerous ways that the UK government is seeking to encourage innovation. But government procurement remains complex, she said, and innovation is not easy, nor is ‘scaling up’. Specific issues include the tendency of venture capital to be invested disproportionately in ‘white, middle-class’ entrepreneurs, she said.

The establishment of a rail ‘cluster builder’ to appeal to businesses looking to diversify into or grow their presence in Scotland’s rail sector was described by Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering. The Executive Chair of Industry Wales, James Davies, also emphasised the importance of supply-chains being ‘deep’ and cross-sectoral.

Thales' Rhianne Evans summarised recommendations made in a Northern Rail Industry Leaders (NRIL) publication, ‘Transforming Rail in the North through Innovation’ (which she co-authored and was published in February). These included embedding procurement and contracting approaches that support and drive innovation in Transport for the North.

Deputy Chair of RIA’s SME Group, Lucy Prior MBE, who is Business Engagement Director for Sheffield-based 3Squared, raised the point that SMEs are very diverse in respect of the activity they undertake. She later said that challenges include ensuring “trickle down” of the Rail Technical Strategy.

Mark Chapman, Head of Trade Team and Europe North Lead for Infrastructure at the Department for International Trade (DIT), also joined the session. Chapman, who is based in Denmark, outlined government initiatives and campaigns that seek to help and showcase UK businesses and expertise overseas, emphasising areas such as ‘clean growth’ and tech fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber-security.

In the Q+A both Sheerin, Prior and Evans picked up on the importance of diversity,

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Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

while the former emphasised the importance of “collaborating from the start” of new initiatives, whether that be with academia or other companies – a point also made by Finch.

Prior urged people to “network and let people know” about what they do and their product, as well as to “keep listening” in order to “keep innovating”.

Procurement and diversity are innovation challenges

The challenge of getting passengers back onto trains – and how to make rail people’s preferred mode of transport after the pandemic – was the focus of a keynote address given by Martin Ertl, Vice-President Innovation and Portfolio Management at Knorr-Bremse.

“Going forward in rail we must use our technical know-how to develop solutions that are passenger-focused and which drive recovery and growth,” he told the audience.

Describing ‘digital’ as a buzzword, he said that ‘smart’ products and services, for example with ticketing, offered great opportunities for innovators but passenger benefits need to be clearly and reliably delivered.

He emphasised that safety - as always in rail - is of paramount importance but that ‘intelligence-driven maintenance’ must become ‘the standard’ for delivering a target of ‘zero’ disruption to services.

There is also, he said, room for improvement in respect of environmental impact. “Rail may have a head-start here as it’s already recognised as a ‘green’ way to travel,” he said. But he added that more could be done to improve the sustainability of often under-used off-peak trains.

To innovation and beyond!

In an out-of-this-world conclusion to the second day of the Conference, a NASA astronaut was interviewed from his native USA about his remarkable life and what the rail industry could learn from space missions.

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Day 2

at a glance Thursday 29 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Charlie Duke discussed some of the most iconic moments in history during an exclusive chat with compere LJ Rich, conducted in partnership with Harmonic.

Duke, now in his 80s, became the tenth person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 16 mission - “the ultimate in remote working”, as Rich put it, with a grin.

He was also ‘CapCom’ (short for ‘Capsule Communication’: the astronaut on Earth who communicates with the crew in space) for the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. He wowed RIA’s audience with his recollection of his now-famous words: “Roger, Twank...Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot!”.

“Everyone was so excited,” Duke to the audience, describing his interaction with NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong. “Neil said, ‘Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed’, as calm as you could imagine. I [was] so excited I couldn’t even say ‘Tranquility’.”

Asked what the rail sector could learn from the Apollo programme, he said that “there’s so much technology out there that you can implement to make it safer”, describing how technology moves forward “leaps and bounds every three or four years”. By way of illustration he held aloft his smart-phone, saying that it has “800,000x” the memory-size of his Apollo computer back in the day.

“Keep your antennas up to new ideas, new thoughts – ‘let’s try this, let’s try that, can we investigate this, can we investigate that’,” he said. “It’s important to keep tuned to what’s going on around that you can apply to medicine, transportation, space, whatever.”

RIA members are well aware that train drivers often have some lovely views to enjoy while at work but surely none can compare with the panoramas that space explorers can experience. “When you get up there [space], just look out the window, you’re going to have the most spectacular view that you can ever have - and you’ve got five minutes to look at it. Keep looking out the windows as you go over the top of that parabola. It’s breathtaking, really,” Duke said, an inspiration to all.

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Day 3

at a glance Friday 30 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

UK Innovation Capabilities Current capabilities (click here to watch video) The UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) ‘Innovation Hub’ in Doncaster and Global Centre of Rail Excellence in South Wales were among the exciting projects discussed during today’s opening session.

We kicked off with perspectives from Amanda Mackie, Head of Rail Test & Development at Network Rail, and academic members of UKRRIN, which launched three years ago to drive academia-industry collaboration and accelerate new technologies from research into market applications globally.

Professor Simon Iwnicki, Director of the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield, described the universities involved in UKRRIN as now working significantly more closely with industry. In doing so, research is more “tailored and focused”, he said.

William Powrie, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Southampton, said it was proving “really exciting” for academics and students to work more closely with the corporate world, “especially the younger generation”. His team have been involved with real-world projects such as learning the lessons of the Great Western electrification, with theoretical analysis and field-tests having led to new Network Rail codes and standards for pile foundations for electrification.

Clive Roberts, Professor of Railway Systems and Director of Railway Research at the University of Birmingham, said his team was developing a “virtual version” of HS2 so that everything could be tested in laboratory settings. He also highlighted work with Porterbrook on hydrogen-powered trains that, he said, had influenced policy.

Future capabilities (click here to watch video) In the next session, Unipart's Doncaster Innovation Hub is “already taking calls” from organisations keen to get involved, said Professor Steve Ingleton, Engineering Director of Unipart Rail. “It’s about bringing industry towards academia and academia towards industry,” he explained. “We want to attract all the technology in rail that’s going on to one location – reflecting its name as a hub.”

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Day 3

at a glance Friday 30 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

An update on the Welsh project was provided by Arthur Emyr, the Welsh Government’s Major Project Lead for Economy and Infrastructure. A new Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) company is being established and by mid-June should have a ‘fully consented’ site, with major earthworks due to get underway in the summer. Emyr reported strong interest in the project, “UK-wide, Europe-wide and globally”.

Also on an international note, Ingleton described the UK as being in a strong position to “lead other parts of the world in rail research and innovation and technology again”, saying that the UKRRIN brand had already gained resonance overseas, for example in Australia.

Richard Jones, Business & Partnerships Manager at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO), discussed the development of the Very Light Rail (VLR) national innovation centre in Dudley where the test track will be available very soon. The broader project, initially focused on delivering a light-rail system in Coventry, aims to support the manufacture and uptake of lower-cost VLR solutions across the UK. “We are working on building the market and the supply chain,” Jones said.

"Make sure everyone has a voice."

A keynote on ‘The Human Elements of Innovation’ from Irina Parsina from Microsoft Teams’ Engineering, Customer & Partner Team brought the morning session to a close.

Parsina examined ‘human’ elements of innovation, pointing out that change does not always come easily and looking at humans’ natural tendency towards risk-aversion, as well as issues such as sunk-cost bias.

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Day 3

at a glance Friday 30 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

“We really need to get better at asking questions,” she said - “Let good questions guide your quest for innovation.” And looking at rail in particular, Irina was clear that there are barriers that need to be broken down to enable innovation adding, as an industry, there is a need to "make sure everyone has a voice".

Rail decarbonisation "needs to begin now" The Conference ended on one the most critical issues facing us today - decarbonisation.

According to panellists during the ‘Decarbonising for Green Recovery’ session - chaired

by David Clarke, RIA Technical Director - the rail industry needs step up the pace in implementing changes and making investments that can reduce its carbon footprint.

Jaqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), said rail was “uniquely positioned” to help the country build back better and greener post-Covid but warned that competitor transport modes were “not standing still”, citing growing investment in electric cars.

Malcom Brown, CEO of Angel Trains and Chair of the Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce, urged the sector to snap out of a cycle of focusing on long term research and instead adopting a ‘fail fast’ approach to green investments and now was the time to move to implementation. There are, he said “real opportunities for UK to become a global leader” in decarbonisation.

Mark Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), echoed Brown’s point that the country needed to move “rapidly” into implementation. He cited air-quality and ‘weather-resilience’ as emerging topics of priority.

“One of the issues that the industry faces, particularly post-Covid, is that we have really got to remake the case for people to use rail as a means of transport, and pushing our sustainability credentials will go a long way towards achieving that,” he said.

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Day 3

at a glance Friday 30 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Porterbrook’s Chief Executive Mary Grant described her company’s work with ‘hybridisation’ to reduce the emissions of existing trains and its partnership with the University of Birmingham on hydrogen-powered trains, saying the company hoped to “bring a [hydrogen] passenger service onto the main line” by the end of this year.

Martin Frobisher, Group Safety and Engineering Director at Network Rail (NR), said the COP26 UN climate change conference, due to take place in Glasgow in November, was an opportunity for the sector to showcase its efforts at a global level. NR’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy (published last September) was, he said, intentionally very specific about “early milestones”, saying the industry must focus on “taking action now”.

‘Indirect’ emissions are a big challenge, he said, adding that je wants to see the rail supply chain commit to science-based environmental targets as Network Rail have.

Nick Hughes, Sales Director (UK and Ireland) for Hitachi Rail, outlined environmentally-friendly initiatives and investments that the company has made, including the development of both battery and hydrogen-powered trains, later saying that “we’re all itching to get started” on deployment on the rail network.

Starr concluded by saying that 2035-2040 “may seem like a long way off, [but] it’s not” and that the industry “needs to take action now” on decarbonisation.

The session had begun with three presentations, respectively focused on hydrogen technologies, battery technologies and electrification.

“We [the UK] have a lot of wind and a lot of water - those are the main things that make hydrogen,” said Jo Bamford, Executive Chairman of Ryse, who set out the case for hydrogen, saying the UK “stands a chance of getting it embedded in our economy” and outlining growing investment volumes.

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Day 3

at a glance Friday 30 April

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

Lorna McDonald, Head of Commuter at Hitachi Rail, put forward arguments in favour of battery technologies, saying there was potential to install battery technology on more than 400 trains by 2030. Jay Mehta, Rail Sector Manager at Hitachi ABB Power Grids, presented the company’s own solution.

Garry Keenor, Group Engineer at Atkins, said that batteries and hydrogen “clearly have a role” to play in rail’s decarbonisation but that “for most of the network, electrification is the only option”. This was the conclusion of a report, ‘Why Rail Electrification?’ (published last week), that he co-authored. “We need a rolling programme of electrification to avoid another cycle of boom and bust,” Keenor said. “Ultimately we will not decarbonise, and our railways will be more expensive to run, if we do not electrify.”

Special mention and thank you to our host LJ Rich

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RIA Innovation Conference 2021

WORKSHOPS

28-30 April

During the first two days of conference, attendees could choose between seven different parallel workshops.

Rail Technical Strategy (RTS) Critical Enablers Workshops • Business-Driven Innovation - This workshop identified and discussed practical opportunities to embed Business Driven Innovation in how the railway plans and operates.

• Rapid Benefit Realisation - This workshop identified and discussed practical opportunities to improve the chances of achieving Rapid Benefit Realisation from new solutions.

• Digitally Talented Workforce - This workshop identified and discussed practical ways to drive progress in ensuring that the railway has the Digitally Talented Workforce that is necessary to drive the successful update of new technologies, and in doing so attracts and retains diverse talent.

Network Rail Workshops • R&D Portfolio Ways of Working (Day 1) • R&D Portfolio Future Stations (Day 2) The Network Rail’s Research and Development team talked about how Network Rail is working to bring innovation from idea to implementation.

They presented examples and routes to market for research, development and innovation.

Both workshops looked at the opportunities for the supply systems to support safety and security at stations.

Transport for London (TfL) Workshops • Reference Designs (Day 1) – Attending this workshop, delegates learned about how TfL is seeking to reduce the cost of design of things that are done repeatedly by implementing a manufacturing-style system of Reference Designs, to which continuous improvement can be applied.

• Reference Designs, Safety Health and Environment (Day 2): This workshop gave the opportunity for suppliers to feedback on the inconsistencies of TfL’s management of Safety, Health and Environment, highlighting priority areas for improvement.

UKRRIN Workshops Building our Innovation Capabilities Attendees learned about how suppliers can engage with the Centers of Excellence and the new Innovation Hub facilities in Doncaster. With University of Birmingham, University of Huddersfield, University of Southampton, Network Rail and Unipart Rail.

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

ABB

ABB’s Electrification Business Area is a global leader in electrical products and solutions, operating in more than 100 countries, with over 200 manufacturing sites. Our 50,000+ employees are dedicated to transforming how people live, connect and work by delivering safe, smart and sustainable electrification solutions. We are shaping the future trends of electrification, differentiating through technological and digital innovation while delivering an outstanding experience through operational excellence for our customers across utilities, industry, buildings, infrastructure and mobility.

Learn more by clicking here

BCIMO

The Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) is the holding company created to oversee the build, launch and operation of a new, very light rail national innovation centre, to be built in Dudley. BCIMO has 4 key objectives, which are to: 1. Positively transform the rail industry through the creation of new VLR transport solutions 2. Help the Black Country to progress, both in terms of innovation and regeneration 3. Work collaboratively with a range of partners rather than in isolation 4. Look at the bigger picture and how VLR systems will support better connected public transport solutions Learn more by clicking here

CAPGEMINI ENGINEERING

Capgemini Engineering combines, under one brand, a unique set of strengths from across the Capgemini Group: the world leading engineering and R&D services of Altran – acquired by Capgemini in 2020 – and Capgemini’s digital manufacturing expertise. With broad industry knowledge and cutting-edge technologies in digital and software, Capgemini Engineering supports the convergence of the physical and digital worlds. Combined with the capabilities of the rest of the Group, it helps clients to accelerate their journey towards Intelligent Industry. Capgemini Engineering has more than 52,000 engineer and scientist team members in over 30 countries across sectors including aeronautics, automotive, railways, communications, energy, life sciences, semiconductors, software & internet, aerospace & defence, and consumer products.

Gold Sponsor

Learn more by clicking here

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE

DIT secures UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade & investment, and championing free trade.

We are an international economic department, responsible for: 1. bringing together policy, promotion and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment, and help businesses succeed 2. delivering a new trade policy framework for the UK as we leave the EU 3. promoting British trade and investment across the world 4. building the global appetite for British goods and services Learn more by clicking here

FURRER + FREY

Furrer+Frey is an engineering company like no other. For almost 100 years, we have been decarbonising public transport through electrification. As the UK seeks to decarbonise its railway, Furrer+Frey has developed international renown in electrification both conventional and battery technology. Deploying the worlds first ultra-rapid battery charger for trains, deployed here first in the UK. Furrer+Frey has worked in over 30 countries in electrification and has set numerous world records, including the highet altitude electrified tunnel, fastest line speed, electrified tunnel, and most powerful train charger in the world. Experts in conventional electrification and global pioneers in charging technology.

Learn more by clicking here

HARMONIC

Harmonic provides enterprise-wide business winning and project delivery services (Combination of Project, Systems Thinking and People Practices) to some of the UK's largest and most successful businesses. We achieve this through close, long-term client relationships that are underpinned by mutual trust and an ability to drive profitable and sustainable growth for our clients.

We integrate with our client's team, making a disproportionate impact by supporting them to pursue the right opportunities in the best way and to deliver their contracts more effectively and profitably.

Our approach to integrating with clients radically improves effectiveness, which means that we are confident in taking on significant challenges and linking our remuneration to results.

Silver Sponsor

Learn more by clicking here

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

INNOVATE UK

Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. We drive productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.

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KTN (Knowledge Transfer Network)

The world we live in faces ever-changing societal, environmental and economic challenges, which are felt regionally, nationally and also globally. At KTN our mission is to connect ideas, people and communities to respond to these challenges and drive positive change through innovation.

Our diverse connections span business, government, funders, research and the third sector.

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HITACHI

Hitachi Rail is a fully integrated, global provider of rail solutions across rolling stock, signalling, service & maintenance, digital technology and turnkey solutions. With a presence in 38 countries across six continents and over 12,000 employees, our mission is to contribute to society through the continuous development of superior rail transport solutions. We are proud of our global achievements, from our world ¬famous ‘bullet trains’, to our signalling solutions and turnkey projects, state¬-of-the-art traffic management and digital solutions.

Platinum Sponsor

Drawing on the wider Hitachi Group’s market-leading technology and research-and-development capabilities, we strive for industry leading innovations and solutions that can deliver value for customers and sustainable railway systems that benefit wider society. For example, Hitachi Rail is working closely with Hitachi ABB Power Grids on pioneering battery train charging solutions to support discontinuous electrification, using Hitachi ABB Power Grid’s experience and knowledge of power grids / DNO connections and load balancing.

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

KNORR-BREMSE

Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems UK is a member of the global Knorr-Bremse Group which has over 28,000 employees around the world. Knorr-Bremse is the world leader in rail braking systems and in addition offers a wide portfolio of advanced on-board systems, for all types of rail vehicle, from trams to very high-speed trains. Systems offered include adhesion management systems, door systems, power supply systems and integrated control and monitoring technology, which support in-service performance and reliability to keep rail vehicles running safely and efficiently. Knorr-Bremse supports all its systems under its specialist Rail Services organisation.

Platinum Sponsor

Committed to delivering true added value, Knorr-Bremse offers solutions which optimise operational efficiencies, reduce environmental impact, and facilitate e-mobility, whilst retaining the Group’s proven levels of quality and performance delivery.

Knorr-Bremse Rail UK operates from four UK facilities, three of which are involved in manufacturing for global markets.

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NETWORK RAIL

Network Rail’s Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) Portfolio is working across the railway infrastructure to improve quality and value for passengers and freight customers. Investment is targeted at £357m when Network Rail’s direct investment is combined with investment from other sources. There is additionally a £40m performance innovation fund specifically targeting short term improvements for customers.

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NUVA ENTERPRISES

nuVa creates natural meetings, virtually. nuVa is a powerful new concept taking virtual meetings to the next level, allowing unlimited new innovation possibilities. nuVa software was specifically designed for individuals and organisations working on complex projects. With it's interactive workspace you are given the opportunity to hold rich, collaborative and visual meetings, virtually from anywhere in the world.

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

PORTERBROOK

Porterbrook has been at the heart of Britain’s railway for over 25 years. We own almost a third of the national passenger rail fleet and provide high-quality, digitally-enabled rolling stock to support a safe, reliable and sustainable railway. Porterbrook currently has around 4,000 vehicles on lease or on order. Since privatisation, we have invested £3bn in new passenger and freight vehicles, and we aim to invest a further £1bn in UK rail over the coming years. Porterbrook also invests £3 million each week in our existing fleets, supporting over 7,000 supply chain jobs across the UK.

Silver Sponsor

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PARK SIGNALLING

Park Signalling is specialist in innovative design and product development to enhance the service life of train control systems and equipment, using cost-effective digital technologies to deliver problem-solving solutions to heavy and light rail networks. With a range of products and solutions which have become the industry standard for monitoring and fault finding for particular signalling assets, we deliver improved performance of signalling systems globally. Park Signalling delivers world-class innovation in consultancy, product design, integration and investigation.

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RAILTEX AND INFRARAIL

Railtex and Infrarail exhibitions have successfully served the rail market for over 20 years and in 2021 will come together to form the ultimate show for the industry. The co-located event will provide an unparalleled opportunity for companies serving all aspects of rail infrastructure and rolling stock sectors to present their products and services, meet new and existing customers and be part of the industry’s networking event of the year.

Gold Sponsor

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RSSB

RSSB supports the rail industry to deliver a better, safer railway. We manage a research programme; collect, collate and analyse data; and develop standards for the railway across Great Britain. We deliver standards, information and guidance for all aspects of railway operations, as well as health and wellbeing, sustainability,

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

infrastructure and rolling stock asset integrity, customer satisfaction, performance, and safety. Through our Affiliation programme we also make some of that information and guidance available to overseas organisations and other industries.

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RICARDO RAIL

Ricardo are experts in critical and complex railway systems, with over 3000 engineers and scientists across the group delivering leading edge R&D, innovation and technology solutions to support the rail industry navigate a rapidly changing landscape. Since 1915 Ricardo have set out on a mission to maximise efficiency and minimise waste.

Silver Sponsor

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CTM

Competency Training MarketplaceTM (CTM) is an easy-to-use, one-stop shop which enables organisations to book and manage workforce training and keep them fully operational. CTM is set to become THE training platform for rail as it unites competency management tools with a training marketplace for the first time.

Advanced analytical tools give training providers and organisations alike an insight to upcoming training needs, making it a game-changer for keeping projects on track and allowing training providers to identify future training requirements in line with evolving market needs. This exemplifies how the platform has been built with both employers and training providers in mind.

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TPGROUP

tpgroup is a provider of mission-critical and business-critical solutions for a safer world. We are engaged in projects across rail, aviation, defence, road, carbon capture/zero-carbon projects and delivering green energy to remote sites/ locations.

We are world leaders in gas management and are one of a few companies globally that can create system-level electrolyser hydrogen generation solutions with relatively low barriers to entry.

Our digital technologies complement our specialist gas systems by optimising the availability and performance of assets using our artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to provide decision support - helping to keep systems operational and maximise uptime.

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

TBAT

TBAT Innovation offer a range of funding services that are crucial to helping companies succeed with their R&D projects. They have expert knowledge of accessing UK and EU grant funding and R&D tax credit submissions.

TBAT have over 17 years’ experience assisting businesses to obtain the funding they need to develop cutting-edge innovative products, processes and services.

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TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

Part of the Greater London Authority family led by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, we are the integrated transport authority responsible for delivering the Mayor’s aims for transport.

We have a key role in shaping what life is like in London, helping to realise the Mayor’s vision for a ‘City for All Londoners’ and helping to create a safer, fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city.

The Mayor’s Transport Strategy sets a target for 80 per cent of all journeys to be made by walking, cycling or using public transport by 2041. To make this a reality, we prioritise sustainability, health and the quality of people’s experience in everything we do.

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SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all.

We call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency. We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values Learn more by clicking here

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SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

UNIPART RAIL

From developing and trialling new products, improving existing assets, resolving obsolescence issues or responding to regulatory changes, Unipart Rail delivers industry-leading rail innovation.

1. Close customer collaboration that fosters innovative new ways to help address technical and business challenges 2. A long term view for investment in research and development to develop future solutions 3. Work across commerce and academia to nurture innovations from conception to commercialisation Work with us to move your innovation from the drawing board to market leader.

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UKRRIN

The UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) is designed to create powerful collaboration between academia and industry, aiming to provide a step-change in innovation in the sector and accelerate new technologies and products from research into market applications globally.

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WESTERMO

Westermo provides a full range of industrial data communications solutions for demanding applications in the trackside and on-train markets among others. For more than 40 years Westermo has been at the forefront of technological innovation and often pushed the limits of what is technically possible.

Westermo are experts in providing resilient communication solutions used by on-train and trackside applications including Communications-based Train Control (CBTC), Train Control & Management Systems (TCMS), Passenger Information Systems (PIS) and Driver Controlled Operation (DCO).

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RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

WITHERS & ROGERS

Withers & Rogers’ specialist Rail Sector Group protects the IP rights of an industry that is of critical importance to Europe and the UK both in terms of environmental and economic impact.

Our dedicated Rail group has a considerable track record in the field of protecting Rail innovation. We have a leading international reputation for our work with European & UK based multi-national rail organisations who provide complete solutions to the sector, as well as direct US clients within the rail industry.

Gold Sponsor

Our experience includes advising clients involved in the production of electronic vehicle systems, design rights for rolling stock, hybrid power and engineered systems for rail transport.

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RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

TABLE SESSIONS The table sessions were a special part of the programme which allowed delegated to have a 50 min to 1-hour virtual space to meet a range of clients, rail businesses and organisations. Delegates could choose from around 14 different hosted themed tables each day for having discussions of up to 6 people at a time. Attendees could easily switch from one table to the other and join different conversations. This session was hosted in an external platform called Digi-Lounge.

Hosted tables included representatives from the following organisations:

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Feedback from conference attendees

RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

“Dear RIA team, a short and sweet comment: A Fantastic event! Looking forward to the Annual Conference.” Domenico Bondi, Vice President Western Europe, Group Division Turbo, Division Mobility, Voith “It was a great event, very well run and managed. I actually found a lot more productive than going to a ‘real’ conference and far easier to get into conversations with the table sessions.” Neil Shannon, Head of Engineering, Infrastructure – Rail, Morgan Sindall “The use of a professional, media-trained host (LJ Rich) is great - makes such a difference to the flow of the conference. She's quick, funny and just the right amount of serious/joking to pull it all together and keep everyone on their feet. The venue system is great - far more interactive than just repeated zoom login sessions and the DigiTable lounge, stands and chat areas a great idea for collaboration and conversation as best as can be managed virtually. It doesn't quite match being there in real life, but it's a pretty good effort! Well done all.” Jonathan Brown, Technical and Innovation Engagement Lead, Ricardo (Conference Sponsor) “Fantastic facilitator in LJ Rich, she was certainly super prepared. Great interface to navigate. Lovely that we could browse through the boots and download information.

Great panel sessions too. Quality of the speakers. Well done RIA once again! PS- loved the interview with Nasa's astronaut Charlie, yesterday. how inspirational.” Rita Masia, Global Bid Manager, Altro “The infrastructure system worked very well, the delegates and especially the host.” Paul Whitcombe, Account and Delivery Consultant, Harmonic (Conference Sponsor) “Good VR event with lots of networking opportunities. Great presentations and panel debates too.” Jay Mehta, Rail Sector Manager UKIE, Hitachi-Powergrids (Conference sponsor) “LJ Rich was a solid gold find - well done whoever found her! The content was impeccable as always. Charlie Duke, likewise was an inspired choice.” Richard Jones, Business & Partnerships Manager, BCIMO (Conference Exhibitor) “It was very easy to become engaged in the conversation” Jocelyn Lomer, Nuva Enterprises (Conference Exhibitor) “The overall choreography of the event was excellent.” Derek Hull, Serco “The event was well structured with useful gaps for getting on with 'day-job' work too. It felt like great value for money and its was good to see so many influencial people talking about innovation. The agenda was on-point and consistent, not feeling 'forced' at all. LJ was fantastic at keeping it going with great knowledge, insight, easy rapport and music."

Ben Blackwall, Business Analyst, Capgemini (Conference Sponsor)

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RIA Innovation Conference 2021

28-30 April

WE THANK our sponsors and strategic partners Strategic Partners

Platinum

Gold

Silver

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RIA Innovation Conference 2022 26-27 April, Nottingham Pre-register here

22 Headfort Place, London SW1X 7RY +44 (0) 207 201 0777 ria@riagb.org.uk www.riagb.org.uk