BCIMO

Yesterday, we hosted an engaging event at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, bringing together European rail infrastructure monitoring experts for a day of collaboration, hands-on learning, and industry insights.💡 A huge thank you to BCIMO, our inspiring speakers Paolo Mazzanti, Luke Swain and Tim Dixon, CEng MPWI 🎤, and everyone who travelled to join us. The ideas and discussions shared made this event a valuable platform for advancing railway monitoring knowledge. 🚆 #knowledgeexchange #rail #innovation #monitoring

#didyouknow: In 2009, The Stourbridge Town branch line – known as the shortest branch line in Britain and Europe – became the first to launch lightweight (known as very or ultra-light) rail vehicles? 🚇 Its two Class 139 Parry People Movers use flywheel energy storage technology, which enables electric tramway systems to operate without overhead wires 🔋 In 2010, it was reported that passenger numbers had passed the half-a-million mark, and reliability levels on the line rivalled those of the DLR 📈 #historyofrail #stourbridgetown #verylightrail #electrictramway #passengertravel

👏 Thank you to all who joined us yesterday at 'Made in Dudley Borough, Sold to the World', our international trade roadshow with the Department for Business and Trade! It was fantastic to see so many businesses from Dudley borough in the room and we hope that you came away with the confidence to take your first steps into exporting or to sell more of your products around the globe. We'd like to say a special thank you to our speakers, who delivered a series of insightful panel discussions and presentations on trade-related topics. 🔹 Catherine Bray MBA, Steve Dunn, and Paul Sampson, our advisers from Business Growth West Midlands in Dudley, who discussed the growth support on offer in the borough. 🔹 Raj Theper from the UK Export Academy, Andrew Eardley and Jean Eardley, directors from MSP Easy Tools, who shared their cybersecurity firm's journey from 'accidental exporters' to DBT Export Champions. 🔹 Jayne Shields, DBT International Trade Adviser, and Mark Herron, managing editor of OrthOracle, who discussed how support from ITAs has been vital to building the global reach of his surgical e-learning platform. 🔹 Anne Lockett from UK Export Finance, and Chris Emes, chairman of Mechatherm International Limited, who gave us insights on the vital role UKEF plays in obtaining bank guarantees for large-scale exports. 🔹 Gary Blackburn, Andy Smith, and Gerti W., our expert panel of DBT advisers on the topics of market selection, connecting to global markets, and culture and communication. 🔹 Kasmin Cooney OBE / DBT Export Champion, who shared her story of expanding RightTrack Learning into markets with different business cultures. 🔹 Our excellent facilitators, Rob Lawley from DBT and Paul Mountford from Dudley Council, and the team at our host venue BCIMO. #MadeInDudleyBorough #InternationalTradeWeek

Today we’re pleased to welcome Senceive to our Auditorium, Exhibition Hall & Test Track for their ‘Railway Knowledge Exchange’ event, with guests from around Europe 🚂

BCIMO offers access to a unique Rail Development & Test Site, perfect for testing, development, and innovation in the rail sector. Our cutting-edge facility, based in the heart of the Black Country, provides a safe and controlled environment for testing rail technologies, systems, and products. Whether you're conducting trials on new rolling stock, infrastructure components, or digital solutions, we have the space and expertise to support your needs. With direct access to rail tracks, workshops, and meeting spaces, BCIMO is the ideal hub for research, testing, and collaboration. Learn more about our Rail Development & Test Site here ➡ https://lnkd.in/eJHk8Rf4 For enquiries or to book the facility, contact us via our contact form ➡ https://lnkd.in/eeSJqr7v

Fantastic to be hosting the ‘Made in Dudley, Sold to the World’ event this morning at BCIMO, which has been opened by Councillor Patrick Harley. A brilliant turn out for a packed out agenda as part of #InternationalTradeWeek Dudley Council Dudley Business First Business Growth West Midlands Department for Business and Trade

In October, we explored the first of our framework for innovation ‘cogs’, looking indepth at challenges and opportunities within the rail industry, and how our new Commercial Investment Hub model will aim to facilitate innovation. This month we highlight the role of the second cog, through the work of the Clean Futures Accelerator, in bringing those innovative technologies to the fore. All innovations throughout the long history of the industry were inspired by challenges and opportunities and, as per its complex nature, the potential for new technologies is broad. Literally from the ground up, it includes all elements of infrastructure, from rails to roof, plus rolling stock, alongside the myriad systems and services involved in the manufacture and maintenance of the railways from day-to-day. But, as for other industries, it’s essential that the focus is always beyond the present, considering its needs into the future in context of a variety of shifting interdependent environmental landscapes. And whilst technologies include tangible products and visible services, innovation can also be encompassed within systems and processes, with transitional technologies equally as viable as transformational. It is also assumed that true innovation is only the ‘new’, but again technologies can be developed for other needs or deployed in a different way. Indeed, as discussions intensify within the transport industry on the need to shift from a single mode view to an interconnected, multimodal system, this imperative for cross-sector technological application and innovator collaboration will likewise intensify. To read more about our Technologies of the Future focus ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ehfQnNmE To explore how the Clean Futures Accelerator is delivering on this ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eGUwtcGe To find out more about the new Commercial Investment Hub model ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e3V-h4ns

#TestimonialTuesday  In May BCIMO hosted the #CleanFutures Cohort 1 Demonstration Day where the programme SMEs showcased their innovations. The event consisted of a conference, exhibition and live demonstrations around our state of the art Rail Innovation Centre. The feedback was truly fantastic, and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who made the day a success. Here’s to more events that fuel collaboration and innovation! 😊 Read more about Demonstration Day ➡ https://lnkd.in/ek_rc_f2 Find out about Cohort 2's SMEs ➡ https://lnkd.in/e2SCySPn

#didyouknow: By the 1920s, one of history's deadliest global conflicts had ended. It was a time of renewed optimism - and in 1923, Wolverhampton opened its new trolleybus system 🚌 Over the next few years, the network was extended, serving developing areas and reaching Dudley in 1927 ✔ By 1929, it was being used by 36 million passengers a year - making it the largest trolleybus system in the world 🥇 🌍 #historyofblackcountry #trolleybus #wolverhampton #dudley #passengertravel

Fantastic to see our Rail Development & Test Site in action, with visitors of Senceive taking a closer look at their monitoring systems which are installed alongside our track. Find out more about our Rail Development & Test Site here ➡ https://lnkd.in/eJHk8Rf4