Seven free workshops are underway across England, Scotland and Wales to turn the results of the £30 million Live Labs 2 programme into routine highways practice.
Completing a trial does not guarantee others will adopt the solutions. The workshops focus on sharing tested methods, tools and approaches for reducing carbon emissions on local roads and their associated infrastructure.
Seven projects, one programme
Live Labs 2 ran for three years and was funded by the Department for Transport. It was delivered by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT).
The programme tested innovations through seven local authority-led projects working with commercial and academic partners. These projects explored new ways to reduce carbon in road construction, operation, street lighting and maintenance.
Authorities involved include Devon, East Riding of Yorkshire, Liverpool, North Lanarkshire, Transport for West Midlands, South Gloucestershire, West Sussex and the Wessex Partnership.
Workshops drive practical adoption
With the main programme completed, a fourth year is dedicated to sharing findings and helping councils identify which innovations they can apply.
The Department for Transport awarded an additional £300,000 to support these engagement workshops. They invite decision-makers, budget holders and practitioners to discuss how Live Labs 2 tools and methods can fit within their budgets, contracts and workforce capabilities.
Sessions are deliberately kept small to encourage detailed discussions and peer learning. They aim to address practical barriers that often hinder innovation adoption, such as procurement rules and local maintenance responsibilities.
What Live Labs 2 delivers
Programme director Giles Perkins leads attendees through key innovations from the seven projects. These include carbon-negative road schemes, low-carbon lighting, digital monitoring tools and low-emission maintenance methods.
Perkins emphasises that the workshops are not just about sharing results, but about helping the sector apply these ideas in real-world conditions.
“Our regional workshops are about working collaboratively with practitioners to explore how the learning from Live Labs can become part of everyday highways delivery,” he says.
Locations and dates
The first workshop took place in Glasgow on 17 September, followed by events in Newcastle (18 September), Stevenage (21 September), Leeds (22 September), Manchester (23 September), Ipswich (24 September) and Birmingham (25 September).
Additional workshops are scheduled for Aberdeen (21 October), London (10 November), Cardiff (18 November) and Taunton (19 November). ADEPT may confirm more dates and locations.
Embedding innovation beyond trials
The workshops recognise that transitioning from pilot projects to routine use depends on practical factors such as budgets, contracts and workforce experience.
As procurement rules continue to shape what highways authorities can buy and how quickly they can act, understanding these constraints is vital.
ADEPT reports that almost 500 people have engaged with the programme’s fourth-year activities so far. The next test will be whether Live Labs 2 innovations can travel between local authorities and become an established part of highways management.
