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Developments in transport and mobility are moving at such a fast pace that it can be challenging for businesses and innovators to respond nimbly and cost-efficiently. To provide a helping hand, the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) has developed a suite of what it describes as “UK Enabling Capabilities”. A grouping of five key assets within the TSC’s Integrated Development and Test Environment (IDTE), each focuses on spheres of research and development that are vital to accelerating advances in Intelligent Mobility. Disciplines include human-centric design, modelling and visualisation, data and insight, and critical software systems. An additional key resource is being assembled around operational trials and evaluation. Achieving success in accelerating development of IM solutions will require the UK to have the right mix of digital and physical assets, at a scale that is likely to be out of reach to a single organisation. The TSC’s role is to co-ordinate and collaborate with industry while setting a vision and requirements for what assets are needed. An early example of this is the Autonomous Vehicle Development Facility established by the TSC in Milton Keynes, which provides industry and academics with access to the LUTZ Pathfinder pod vehicles, along with specialised engineer support to integrate systems, plan tests and address the safety and legal aspects of trials on the public roads.John Miller, Principal Technologist at the TSC, says that what is unique about the Enabling Capabilities is that they combine physical and digital test facilities with access to the TSC’s extensive and multi-disciplinary, network of nationwide experts. “Our approach is about giving SMEs, academics and industry access to the right combination of tools and, crucially, people, to solve their problem.” Miller highlights that with the Intelligent Mobility landscape becoming ever more sophisticated, those expert contacts will not necessarily be exclusively from within BUSINESSES SEEKING TO MAKE COMMERCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL HEADWAY IN INTELLIGENT MOBILITY ARE INVITED TO USE THE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS CATAPULT’S UK ENABLING CAPABILITIESBUILDING BLOCKS FOR INNOVATIONENABLING CAPABILITIES32IMAGINE