Aurrigo, UPS, Wayve and a host of other innovators have secured UK government backing to advance the next generation of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technologies.
From autonomous passenger shuttles and cargo dollies to smart container transport systems, the projects will benefit from the CAM Pathfinder – Enhancements fund, which is part of a wider £150m government programme aimed at scaling real-world deployment of CAM services.
The funding is being delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) – a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT) – in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
The selected projects are designed to tackle the challenges of commercialising CAM vehicles and to strengthen the UK’s supply chain.
Each of the winning projects has already received previous government support, and this latest round of funding is designed to accelerate their development and real-world viability.
Among the recipients is a new autonomous shuttle service in Milton Keynes, while another project will launch self-driving buses connecting Birmingham International rail station to the NEC.
In Cambridge, trials will expand into new areas, including the city’s biomedical campus and guided busways.
Aurrigo and UPS will further develop autonomous cargo and passenger shuttles, while Fusion Processing will enhance its AV technology to support emergency services and heavy-duty applications.
Other initiatives focus on simulation tools for sensor validation, autonomous container movement at the Port of Tyne and virtual testing infrastructure led by Wayve and WMG.
“It’s fantastic to see industry and government working together to ensure the UK is best placed to seize the CAM opportunity,” said Mark Cracknell, programme director at Zenzic.
“From aviation to logistics and public transport, the programme will provide the funding and support required to help some of the nation’s brightest minds develop the technologies that will cement CAM as one of the industries of the future, creating high skilled jobs and providing a major boost to the UK economy.”
Mike Biddle, executive director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, added: “This latest investment in the UK’s CAM sector by government, announced in the Industrial Strategy, will enable the UK to continue at the forefront of this technology.
“It’s a chance to accelerate business growth, build supply chains of the future, develop new solutions and boost skills.
“This is a vote of confidence in the industry’s potential and Innovate UK looks forward to working with business and our partners as these technologies move ever closer to being commonplace in our everyday lives.”
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