Research and development services and related consultancy services

Tender description

Research and development to enable Greater Cambridge to use real time data to address transport and other related challenges for the benefit of all those who live, work and visit the area. The Greater Cambridge area of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire is set to grow by up to 30 % over the next 15 years – with the population rising by 65 000 to 338 000 by 2031 (from 273 000 in 2011). Population growth means trips on the transport network will increase by 25 000 by 2031 (from 101 000 in 2011 to 126 000). If we carry on as we are, by 2031: — traffic in Cambridge will increase by over 30 % in the morning peak, — traffic in South Cambridgeshire will increase by almost 40 % in the morning peak, — time spent in congestion will more than double. As a result, we need to ease congestion and make it easier for people to travel by bus, rail, cycle or on foot to improve average journey time. We can help make people’s journeys and lives easier by using real time data in a wide variety of ways from developing more intelligent traffic signals, improved bus time predictions and smarter ticketing. Real time data is key to understanding the challenges and delivering solutions to them, but market offerings are neither sufficiently innovative nor robust. We therefore require research and development to inform our thinking about how to build a smart city real time data platform for transport and mobility applications. This research and development includes a variety of specialisms and techniques including predictive techniques, artificial intelligence and machine learning.