MEMBERS & PARTNERS
The Rail Innovation Group is an independent not-for-profit community with a mission to promote the adoption of new ideas & tech for the benefit of the passenger & their journey experience. We invite all those who are committed to our mission to become a Member of the Group. As our profile has grown & we have nurtured our links with stakeholders around the sector, Membership of the Group is an excellent way to benefit from our network.
Annual Membership costs:
Start Up: £250 / SME: £750 / Corporate: £1500
“Being part of Rail Innovation Group has helped accelerate our work within the rail industry & we are delighted to be part of such a dynamic & exciting group.”
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Emily Kent, Founder, One Big Circle
“The Rail Innovation Group offers a fun, friendly network of like-minded companies & professionals. Since joining as a Founding Member it’s been amazing for our company, supporting us to expand & find new opportunities within & outside the railway.”
Ben Craze, CEO & Co-Founder, Infinitive Group
To input into the aim of the Group, each of our Members & Partners is invited to give their definition of innovation which we draw upon to assess future products, services & cultures.
"RIA's Technical and Innovation work has recently focused on the theme of 'M.A.D.E in Britain', where M.A.D.E stands for Materials, Automation, Data and Energy - the key areas where UK rail could develop a competitive advantage through innovation."
"Our mission is to support the UK government’s ambition for a greener, more efficient, and interconnected future by enabling a rapid, sustainable rail network that drives economic growth and regional connectivity."
"Young Rail Professionals (YRP) was founded to promote, inspire and develop the next generation of railway talent so our innovation is drawn from bringing groups of young professionals together. This collaboration will ensure that future leaders understand that innovation sometimes requires a break with tradition and an open mind to new concepts and approaches to old problems."
“Innovation does not need to be a product, it is the introduction of new ways of thinking within a traditionally process-driven industry.”
"True innovation is often suppressed through bureaucracy, red tape and the lack of support or general infrastructure. Innovation should be inclusive, an idea no matter how big or small that has the potential to change tomorrow for the better should be explored to establish the possibility of getting an idea off the ground and realised.”
“Innovation is turning a great idea into a solution that adds value from a business’s perspective"
Ethos Farm
“Innovation is the continuous production of new ideas & concepts that add enhanced value to a process, product or service.”
“Innovation is the application of a novel system, process or technology into a specific product, sector or industry.”
“Innovation is the act of developing a new solution for existing processes or new challenges facing a market or industry. Innovation is at its greatest when the solution uses technology to gain efficiencies in time and energy, reduces costs and improves the user experience.”
“Innovation is finding new and better ways to operate, that could be simple as improving one process or radically changing an entire industry. We firmly believe that innovation thrives in organisations that cultivate diversity & openness.”
“Innovation is turning an idea into a solution that delivers on a need. To be successful in business today you need to adopt innovation as your core strategy.”
"Our purpose is that we create better outcomes. Innovation is at the forefront of our approach with customers."
“Innovation isn’t just a service to offer, it’s ingrained within our business values. When we analyse a problem, we pride ourselves on going the extra mile. Our team have developed an “Is there a better way” model where we assess our outputs & ask the question - Is there a better way?”
"Innovation is about being smart without just trying to be clever. It's about taking time to understand the problems that really need solving, & then finding the best way to build a solution. An innovative solution can be built on and with systems & technology already available in place - it's not just about the shiny and new and it has to work in the real world."
"JNCTION believes innovation is creating a new product or service in order to maximise service efficiency and bring a benefit to an intended audience. This starts from initial planning all the way to product support."
"Innovation is about using ideas to create money. This is not the same as using money to create ideas."
"Looking at new innovations to drive a modular shift from road to rail."
"Innovation is the art of of taking your knowledge in one sector and applying it in another sector to make a process or technology better and more effective"
"Product Innovation is the process of transforming an idea or invention into a successful commodity in its target market. Business Innovation is taking a new idea and using it to embed real change."
"To increase the passenger experience using technology seamlessly without exposing the challenges in today’s travelling society"
"Innovation means creating a key enabling technology that benefits the rail industry and passengers."
"Innovation is the drive to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of today, to create a better tomorrow."
"Innovation is harnessing expertise and the latest technology evolutions to create solutions that address challenges and market needs as, or even before they are known. Driving efficiencies and new, simpler ways of working."
"Innovation is a new idea or solution which improves on the state-of-the-art to add value."
"Innovation is the art of seeing a better outcome. From re-imagining an existing product, service or experience to pure blue-sky thinking, innovation is the risk that entrepreneurs, inventors and others take to step forward."
”Innovation is properly understanding a need and finding a simple and cost effective solution which can be deployed in the market.”
"Opportunistic innovation draws on the strengths of a periscope, not a crystal ball. Technology opportunity is all around us. The difference between the innovator and the inventor is the challenges they understand and the way they look at what the technology can bring."
"Innovation to us is simply the label given to the end of the process of creating successful change. What's more important is the road taken to achieve that outcome. This road is about failing, persevering and quickly learning through challenges. For teams who get past this and make it, success is codified as innovation. Hence, innovation is about execution."
"Innovation leads to novel ways of living and working that, once adopted, become indispensable and hard to imagine life without."
"Innovation is imagining how something can be improved and taking action to bring about the change."
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"Innovation is creating something unique and of applied value that hasn't been seen in the industry before"
"Innovation is the creative process of improving the human experience within a larger system. It involves generating new ideas, products, or services that address user needs and aspirations. Innovation needs to be user-centric, contextually aware, and bridge the gap between user needs and the system's complexity."
"Bringing new ideas and solutions to address problems"
"We believe that successful innovation is focused on the end-user and outcomes for people. Whether it's new products, ideas or technological inventions, innovation should ultimately aim to simplify lives, provide new opportunities and empower potential."
"Innovation involves using cutting-edge technologies and data-driven insights to enhance operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, and safety. It’s about creating smarter, safer, and more sustainable operations, ultimately transforming industries like rail for the better."
"Innovation is the art of continuously adapting, improving and pioneering new ways of thinking to help drive meaningful change."
"Innovation is to continuously identify new ways to improve and generate more business value by combining state of the art technologies with real life business conditions."
"Innovation is the act of removing your thinking of any past practises, and finding solutions using new practises."
Luke Bodin, Business Adapts
"Something that is useful to the common person and makes a positive difference in their lives."
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Prasad Bhave, WSP
"Innovation is a willingness to risk an unproven approach to improving a proposition or solving a problem"
Richard Rowson, f17
"Creating new technology to solve the world’s problems in a cost effective way."
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Peter Mildon, Vivacity Labs
"The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay for."
Ananya Allan, HS2
"Putting new ideas to work using deep knowledge of the existing system (whether as a user or an operator) & how it could be better"
Jenny Cooke, Network Rail
"Innovation is using new perspectives to solve old problems"
Tim Whitcher, WSP
"Innovation is having a future state of mind; constantly creating ideas and evolving these into reality." WiFi Spark
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Do you want to help new entrants diversify the rail supply chain?
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Do you want to help rail meet the expectations of its consumers?
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Do you want to stimulate culture change in rail?
Then join us!
Download our Membership details here...
Join below ...
Annual Membership costs: Start Up: £250 / SME: £750 / Corporate: £1500 –
Membership Includes:
Access to our Advisors
We have experts on hand to give advice on:
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building your pitch to an operator.
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rail & station operations.
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equality & diversity.
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Customer engagement (CRM).
Building Pitches & Presentations
We’ll help you build your pitch so it's targeted to respond to key rail priorities & uses the right terminology. Need to do a practice run-through, we'll give you feedback for the real thing.
Mentoring
We can support Members with online guidance or in-person counsel.
Podcasts
We invite Members to join us as guests on our podcast – What Moves Us - to discuss how their business is helping to change how we move. We have over 1,000 listeners.
Publication of Articles
Members are entitled to write original thought pieces to contribute to the Group’s aims, we'll publish them on our channels.
Thought Pieces
Help influence the future of the rail industry by giving your insight to our high-profile publications.
Member-only Calls
Join our exclusive member-only knowledge sharing calls.
Networking Meet Ups
Priority access to our events where you build your network & understand your route to market.
Hosting Events
Members also have the chance to host events in order to demonstrate what you've been working on & build brand recognition.
Website Listing
Members are featured on our website & appear in our online Innovation Library, alongside their definition of innovation & a link to their website.
Promoting our Members
We are often contacted by event organisers & industry stakeholders, keen to hear first-hand from those companies innovating rail.
Social Media
We’ll help to spread positive news of innovation in rail. @railinnovate
Conferences
We support our members at various events through the year, from nominating them for speaker slots to offering a friendly face & stand promotion at trade fairs.
Newsletter
Submit your news to be shared with our readers who are subscribed to our regular newsletter.
Online Seminars
Share your work or product demo at one of our Munch & Learn online seminars.
Recognised Innovation Scheme
Submit your product for endorsement through our peer-reviewed scheme.