A £10,000 prize is on offer for digital solutions that reduce the impact of roadworks on traffic.
The Dare to Solve: Roadworks contest, organised by contractor Amey, Staffordshire County Council and roadworks communications company Elgin, encourages technological innovation from companies and entrepreneurs to the ongoing problem of public disruption from roadworks.
As well as the £10,000 prize, the winning entry will also have the opportunity to work with competition’s backers to accelerate development of their technology.
The successful entrepreneur will also retain 100% of their intellectual property and will receive mentoring and promotion to help bring their solutions to market.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Mark Deaville, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing how data and emerging technologies can be exploited to help people understand and prepare for changes to their roads, avoid traffic congestion and delays, and feel less disruption to their daily lives due to roadworks.”
The deadline for applications is 15 July, and shortlisted entries will be invited to a live pitch and Q&A with a panel of judges. The launch of trials for successful applicants is scheduled to take place in the autumn.
The contest is part of the Innovate UK-funded Staffordshire Heineken Project which aims to reduce the impact of roadworks in the county. Amey, the council, CSC, Elgin, Staffordshire University and digital consultancy Tenshi are among the organisations developing a “smart city platform” to enable a more joined up way of planning and carrying out roadworks.
More information on the competition is available here.
