Four train operators have joined forces on a Dragons’ Den-style scheme to support innovation in the rail industry.

LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express, and Southern are looking for cutting-edge technology startups to apply to Future Labs – a scheme designed to accelerate ideas that address common and emerging issues for the sector.

Successful applicants will gain access to industry data and resources as well as mentors and subject matter experts working for the train operators to bring their products and services to life.

They will be able to apply, test and demonstrate their ideas in real-world environments over a 12-week period.

A spokesperson said: “Future Labs is all about transforming the rail industry through open, pioneering and proven innovation. By giving technology startups access to live environments and expert mentorship they can test their proposed solutions in a real-world environment.

“Ultimately, this is all about advancing the passenger and employee experience as well as supporting performance and operational excellence.”

RWE and Masdar have commissioned global leading geo-data specialist Fugro to undertake detailed geotechnical surveys on the site of two Dogger Bank wind farms more than 100km off the UK in the North Sea. Three vessels, Fugro Quest, Fugro Voyager and Normand Mermaid, will survey the ground conditions below seabed from June to October this year at the location of each proposed turbine and platform foundation, and associated seabed infrastructure. The ground investigation will use a combination of Cone Penetration Tests and sampling boreholes and will be an extensive geotechnical campaign for one of the world’s largest offshore wind projects. Colin McAllister, Development Project Manager, DBS offshore wind farms said: “The geotechnical data from these site investigations will give our engineers a detailed and accurate picture of the individual ground conditions at sites of the foundations and associated offshore infrastructure. We already have high-level data about the seabed conditions from reconnaissance surveys conducted in 2022. With the level of detail captured from the new surveys, however, we can design the most effective foundations for each turbine and platform in the project. We expect similar detailed surveys to take place at DBS East in the future.” John ten Hoope, Fugro’s Regional Director Marine Site Characterisation said: “We are excited to continue working with RWE on this prestigious project. Our successful combination of innovation technology and expert project teams will safely deliver timely high-quality data and insights crucial to optimising the design of DBS West offshore wind farm. The fieldwork, which comprises seabed cone penetration tests, and vibrocores from the Normand Mermaid and geotechnical boreholes from the Fugro Quest and Fugro Voyager, will start in June 2024. The subsequent extensive laboratory testing will take place in Fugro’s laboratories in the UK.”

The UK sustainable aviation fuels Clearing House has officially launched, marking a major step in enabling the UK to bring new fuels to market and help reduce carbon emissions from the aviation industry. Led by the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, and supported by engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo plc, the UK SAF Clearing House is now accepting applications from fuel producers for technical support and funding towards the development, testing and qualification of sustainable aviation fuels. Any new aviation fuel must meet strict performance standards before it can be qualified as safe for use in aircraft. To achieve this, fuel must undergo stages of testing in accordance with industry recognised standards. The cost and complexity of testing can be a significant barrier to new fuels entering the market. The UK SAF Clearing House will provide advice to fuel producers on testing, signpost towards testing facilities and support the qualification of sustainable aviation fuels to help overcome this barrier. The UK SAF Clearing House provides support for the development, testing, qualification, and production of sustainable aviation fuels, and it will play a key role in the government’s ambition to build a thriving UK SAF production industry, and establish the UK as a global leader in the use of SAF. Professor Chris Lewis from the University of Sheffield, Director of UK SAF Clearing House, said: “It is great to see there is now a lot of activity in the development of SAF, however the increase in a diverse range of raw materials and processes means a major shift in the industry, which is both an opportunity to reduce aviation emissions and presents a challenge to get these increasingly diverse SAF products to market. “The UK SAF Clearing House, in cooperation with the EU and US Clearing Houses, will provide technical advice and information, funding to support with testing, and help in understanding how the industry works, as well as helping producers engage with the industry in a positive way. We are delighted to announce we are open for business, so please do come and talk to us.” Natasha Robinson, Deputy Director of Low Carbon Fuels at the Department for Transport, said: “The UK wants to be an international leader in the transition to SAF, which is a crucial element of the UK aviation industry’s decarbonisation ambitions. The UK SAF Clearing House will accelerate the testing of fuels by streamlining the process, in order to help companies get the qualification for use they need. “The UK SAF Clearing House will reduce the bottleneck in testing, ensuring a greater availability of SAF from a diverse range of feedstocks, which will enable the UK to achieve its target of 10 per cent SAF by 2030 and will also help with creation of new jobs and skills in this innovative green sector.” Minister for Aviation and Decarbonisation of Transport, Anthony Browne, said: “As the UK SAF industry goes from strength to strength, it’s important it also has the capabilities to test the fuel being made, making the transition from the labs to the sky faster and easier than ever before. “Funded by the UK Government, the SAF Clearing House at the University of Sheffield is making greener flying a global reality, accelerating crucial testing, removing barriers for overseas investment and keeping the UK at the centre of the global SAF industry.” Sujith Kollamthodi, Director of Policy, Strategy & Economics at Ricardo, said: “The new UK SAF Clearing House is a step in the right direction towards a leaner and greener aviation sector in the UK. It joins other UK Government initiatives for the sector alongside the Advanced Fuels Fund, plans for a SAF revenue certainty scheme and backing for the world’s first transatlantic flight using 100 per cent SAF. “We are proud that Ricardo experts are applying their renowned expertise in policy, strategy and the safe implementation of new sustainable technologies to this world-leading initiative which can accelerate the decarbonisation of the global aviation industry.” For key clients including fuel producers, aerospace original equipment manufacturers, airlines and airports, the UK SAF Clearing House is a free-at-the-point-of-use service that will support fuel producers. It will work in collaboration with other international clearing houses and coordinate a programme of fuel qualification with the support of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

A Yorkshire law firm has been acquired by a Castle Donnington-based counterpart, creating a 60 plus-strong workforce and paving the way for future expansion. WLR Law has purchased commercial, media, and sports law expert Front Row Legal (FRL) for an undisclosed fee. Claire Dibb, WLR group CFO – who has worked with several legal firms in Yorkshire and across the UK, providing commercial financial management & CFO leadership to both SME & corporate clients – will be part of the Board of Directors, to help drive future growth. Richard Cramer, FRL Managing Director, says: “This seamless integration of our expertise and resources is a remarkable opportunity to elevate our client offerings and tap into WLR Law’s vast resources. “I’m thrilled to embark on this journey which will set new benchmarks for legal services in our focused sectors – further refining our approach to meet the evolving needs of our clients with even greater precision and care.” Richard adds: “The new combined workforce will be around 60 – greatly enhancing the scope of services we can offer. We’re always looking to recruit quality professionals, and I’m confident this acquisition is just the start of an ongoing expansion plan to create additional jobs in the coming years.” Martin Collins, WLR Law principal MD and board director, says: “This merger is a celebration of shared values and our unwavering commitment to client success. Together we’re perfectly poised to drive further innovation in the way legal advice is delivered, improving the impact and accessibility for our clients.”

The Federation of Small Businesses has called for energy regulator Ofgem to take action on the standing charges paid by small businesses, many of whom have seen soaring daily fixed prices. The Federation is backing up requests from Ministers to Ofgem chief exec Jonathan Brearley that he ensures energy bills are fair an affordable, and has told him he must recognise the “specific, negative impact standing charges are having on small firms”. FSB’s Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said: “We want Ofgem to do a thorough review of standing charges for businesses as well as consumers, for better transparency and to discern whether energy companies are behaving fairly towards their small firm clients. “Small business energy customers behave in a way more akin to consumers than big businesses, lacking the resources, the expertise and the buying power necessary to get the best possible deal out of their energy suppliers. However, they do not benefit from anything like the same level of protection as that rightly available to households, leaving them caught between two stools. “Many small businesses could be forgiven for suspecting that they have been seen as something of a soft target for price hikes in their standing charges, and they do not have a full picture of where the money they pay on a daily basis is going – something that needs to change. “Small firms were put through the wringer by the energy price crisis, which sadly spelled the end for many otherwise viable businesses who saw their utility bills become completely unmanageable. “The price increases which led to the crisis have thankfully eased off to an extent, but many thousands of small firms are now stuck on tariffs which are far higher than before, which is a leading driver of cost increases. “While it’s possible for most firms to cut their energy use – something which many did in response to spiralling bills – the standing charge must be paid day in, day out, so ensuring that small firms aren’t being fleeced is absolutely vital. “We’re very keen to hear what Ofgem’s next steps in this area will be, to ensure that small firms pay standing charges that are fair and transparent, no matter where they’re based.” One small firm whose owner got in touch with FSB reported an increase in the business’s daily standing charge from 70.94p per day in July 2021 to 969.64p per day in September 2023 – over 13 times higher. Standing charges are used to fund network infrastructure, operating costs, and policy costs for schemes such as the Warm Home Discount, but this can be difficult for small firms to comprehend. Business customers are not covered by the energy price cap for consumers and many small firms suspect that their costs have been hiked as a result.