Funding awarded to accelerate UK autonomous vehicle readiness
A series of feasibility studies aimed at accelerating the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles in the UK has received government-backed funding, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s connected and automated mobility (CAM) sector.
image: Zenzic/Odysse
Eight projects across the UK have been selected through the “Feasibility Studies 2” competition, which forms part of the £150m CAM Pathfinder programme. The initiative is designed to support the development of viable business cases for self-driving technologies and help bring them closer to real-world application.
The funded studies will explore a range of potential use cases, including autonomous vehicles in aviation, self-driving freight solutions, and the deployment of automated private-hire services in urban environments such as London.
The CAM Pathfinder programme, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with Zenzic and Innovate UK, is intended to address barriers to investment and support the transition from innovation to commercial deployment. The UK’s CAM sector is currently valued at around £3.7bn, with the programme positioned as a key mechanism for unlocking further growth.
Among the selected projects are funded studies examining the use of autonomous electric heavy goods vehicles on strategic freight corridors, driverless shuttle services in healthcare settings, and dedicated transport links connecting research campuses with public transport hubs. Other initiatives will focus on tackling challenges such as driver shortages, rising operational costs, and the need to meet zero-emission targets, while assessing how automation could improve efficiency in sectors including airports and logistics.
Mark Cracknell, programme director at Zenzic, said the studies are intended to “demonstrate the commerciality” of emerging technologies and provide greater clarity on their potential impact on productivity and economic growth.
Innovate UK added that the projects are expected to help organisations scale new technologies and unlock future benefits, supporting wider adoption across different transport applications.
The programme forms part of a broader government strategy to support innovation in transport, alongside regulatory developments such as the Automated Vehicles Act, which aims to enable the safe rollout of self-driving vehicles on UK roads.
The newly funded projects include:
ASPIRE – A study addressing a critical UK mobility challenge: structural driver shortages, rising operational costs, and the need to maintain connectivity while meeting zero-emission mandates. Project Partners: Bamford Bus Company, Loughborough University, Queen’s University Belfast
Develop & Quantify Business Models – A study by Fusion Processing to identify the staff, processes and investments required to deliver operational cost saves and efficiencies at UK airports. Project Partners: Fusion Processing
Private-Hire Services in High-Demand London Corridors – Odysse’s feasibility study for Level-4 automated vehicles (AVs) on private-hire services in high-demand London corridors will explore how emerging self-driving technologies could help shape the future of urban mobility in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Project Partners: Odysse Limited
North East Vehicle Autonomous Corridor – A feasibility study into the deployment of autonomous electric HGVs on the strategic road freight corridor between the Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMUK) Sunderland Plant and the Port of Tyne. Project Partners: BCA Automotive Limited, National Highways, Newcastle University, Perform Green, South Tyneside Council, Sunderland City Council
Sentinel Shuttle – A future-ready feasibility study to unlock safe, scalable driverless shuttle operations across NHS hospital and care estates, enabled by real-time onboard monitoring and remote oversight. Project Partners: Moonbility Limited
TACTIC – A six-month feasibility study led by iC4DTI, with CENEX as partner, to produce an investment-ready business case for a driver-out CAM freight service on the Teesport to Teesside International Airport corridor within the Teesside Freeport. Project Partners: International Centre for Trade and Digital Innovation (C.I.C), Cenex
V-CAL Feasibility Study – Assessing the commercial viability of deploying autonomous yard tractors on the Vantec–Nissan route in Sunderland. This nine-month project builds on the successful outcomes of the 5GCAL and V-CAL initiatives, moving from technical proof-of-concept to a robust business case for full-scale deployment without safety drivers. Project Partners: North East Automotive Alliance, Newcastle University, Oxa Autonomy Limited, LOGISTEED UK Limited
Wellcome Genome Campus – This project will deliver a feasibility study for one of the UK’s first dedicated corridors for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs), linking the Wellcome Genome Campus (WGC) to Whittlesford Parkway railway station in Cambridgeshire. Project partners: Wellcome Genome Campus