Technological delegation to the United Kingdom

BETWEEN OCTOBER 1st AND 5th, MAFEX, THROUGH ITS COMPETITIVENESS COMMITTEE ORGANISED A TECHNOLOGICAL DELEGATION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM COMPOSED OF 11 SPANISH COMPANIES TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN THE BRITISH RAILWAY SECTOR.

The business delegation aimed to increase technological collaboration between Spain and the United Kingdom, offering the opportunity to understand the local ecosystem that supports innovation and receive real-time information on projects, prototypes, business plans, as well as explore and meet partners potential, through technological cooperation between the two countries.

Organised in tandem with the Department for Transport-DfT, the delegation began with a Technical Workshop on innovation in the United Kingdom, where speakers of renowned prestige participated. Spanish companies had the opportunity to learn first-hand the strategies and good practices of RSSB, HS2, Network Rail, Innovate UK, CDTI, and Transport For London. During the delegation, visits were made to the Centres of Excellence in Infrastructure (University of Southampton), Centre of Excellence in Digitalisation (University of Birmingham), and Rolling Stock Excellence Centre (University of Huddersfield), also counting on the participation of the UK Tram and having the chance to observe the different research lines that are carried out in each one of them.

A Tri-Country B2B Matchmaking Event was also carried out in collaboration with the English Rail Alliance Cluster and the German BTS Cluster within the framework of the RVE Expo in Derby with more than 40 meetings between the participating Spanish companies and the members of the different clusters of in attendance.

During the same trade fair, a workshop was also organised with Porterbrook, a company dedicated to the leasing of rolling stock where the Innovation Hub project that they have recently launched was presented