Logistics UK has welcomed the UK government’s announcement of £1.1 million in new funding under the Freight Innovation Fund, aimed at supporting the development and real-world testing of new technologies in the logistics sector.
Ben Garratt, Deputy Director at Logistics UK, said the funding will help innovators implement solutions that enhance safety, sustainability, and efficiency across freight operations.
Representing the entire logistics industry — including road, rail, water, air, and freight buyers — Logistics UK emphasised the growing importance of innovation in a sector navigating decarbonisation, Brexit, and digital transformation.
In response to the latest announcement by the Department for Transport that £1.1 million is to be made available to develop new technologies for freight as part of the Government’s Freight Innovation Fund, business group Logistics UK’s Deputy Director Ben Garratt said:
“Logistics businesses are constantly evolving and introducing new technologies, with the safety, sustainability and efficiency benefits of those developments supporting the whole country. The latest round of funding for the Freight Innovation Fund will play a key role in this, enabling innovators to test their solutions in real-world logistics environments, smoothing their introduction across our sector.”
Logistics UK is one of the UK’s biggest business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With decarbonisation, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, water and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.
The government’s £1.1 million investment demonstrates clear support for emerging technologies in the freight and logistics sector—critical to driving economic growth. With up to £130,000 available for each small or medium-sized business, the Freight Innovation Fund enables companies to trial innovative solutions such as aerodynamic trailers, AI-driven safety systems, and stress-detection software for staff. This initiative underlines the UK’s commitment to boosting industry efficiency, sustainability, and resilience through real-world testing of next-generation technologies.
