Autonomous driving projects secure Government funds

Two self-driving vehicle projects led by consortia featuring Connected Places Catapult have secured Government funding worth a total of £3.8 million to take forward their emerging technologies to improve safety and security of vehicles, and scale up business opportunities.

The funding is from the Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Supply Chain competition, run by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV).

CERTUS provides a toolset that helps to identify and define the test requirements for automated driving systems; and has received £1.5 million in grant funding. The consortium is led by HORIBA MIRA, and includes Coventry University, Connected Places Catapult, Polestar Automotive  UK and IPG Automotive UK.

This project considers the verification and validation of automated driving systems, and addresses questions such as what to test, how to test, and when to stop testing.

The second project, evolvAD aims to develop an autonomous vehicle capable of driving safely in residential, urban, and rural environments; and has received £2.3 million in grant funding. The consortium is led by Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) and includes TRL, Humanising Autonomy, Connected Places Catapult and SBD Automotive.

Project partners will focus on high-definition map generation and validation, alignment with multiple complex operational design domains, and improving interactions in complex urban environments with vulnerable road users.

Connected Places Catapult’s Ecosystem Director for Integrated Infrastructure, Dr Chris Jones said: “We welcome this funding announcement and are pleased to be working with these projects to help bridge the remaining market barriers that will enable Connected and Automated Mobility technologies and services to become a commercial reality.

“The UK is a world-leader in the testing and development of CAM and the Catapult has a long history of working in this space with industry partners. This investment will help answer important questions that will accelerate this near-to-market technology even closer to becoming mainstream.”

Connected Places Catapult’s Ecosystem Director for Integrated Infrastructure, Dr Chris Jones

In all, 13 projects involving 43 British companies have secured £18.5 million to help strengthen the connected and automated mobility supply chain through the Commercialising CAM programme. The programme is funded by CCAV, which is a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.

The Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Supply Chain competition was launched last October to support the delivery of technologies, products and services, as part of the Government’s vision for self-driving vehicles announced in August 2022 to support the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles to deliver societal and economic benefits.