Air, Business, Freight News, IT


Tees to be testbed for digital trade

[ February 19, 2025   //   ]

Teesside International Airport is to develop a Digital Trade Testbed in partnership with Teesside University and Tees Valley Combined Authority. It will demonstrate how digital technology coupled with 5G connectivity can be used to make trade easier, cheaper, more equitable, and sustainable.

The testbed will draw on Teesside University’s skills in digitalisation and AI to test, validate and innovate solutions for global digital trade.

The UK became the first G20 country to establish a legal framework for digital documentation to be used in international trade when the Electronic Trade Documents Acts was signed into law in 2023.

The partners say the Testbed is the only one of its kind in the country, and will look at how new technologies such as AI, machine learning, IoT, geofencing, and decentralised digital identities can be used to join up systems, improve interoperability, and deliver practical advances in trade.

It builds on an ongoing partnership between Teesside University and the International Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation (iC4DTI) which has already won investment to fund two projects to accelerate the digitalisation of UK and world trade.

Professor David Hughes, Associate Dean atTeesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, said: “The UK is at the forefront of digital trade, and this presents a real opportunity as a nation to drive good practice in this vital area. It will enable us to develop innovative real-world solutions which work for businesses supporting them to trade with the rest with minimal friction and helping drive economic growth.”

A £3.5million funding boost from the Teesside Freeport was agreed in 2023.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who chairs the Teesside Freeport Board, said: “We’ve always been a technology trailblazer to attract huge international investment and show the way for the rest of the nation. Our work on 5G with industry experts, Government and Teesside University has been yet another example of how we’re leading the pack to boost our airport and unleash our region’s full potential.

“This testbed is yet another chance to put Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool on the international map when it comes to removing trade barriers, promoting cutting-edge research, and making it easier to do business in the UK.’

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