The CEO of Nottingham’s inward investment agency — Marketing Nottingham — has said that Nottingham and Derby could become “the national champions of driverless technology.”

Brendan Moffett pictured) said Nottingham’s data-science expertise and Derby’s “prowess in the automotive sector” create a “compelling reason to centre the blossoming industry in the Midlands”.

He added: “The two cities complement each other when it comes to Industry 4.0, but who is going to champion autonomous vehicles?

“It’s certainly the kind of thing we need to be looking at. There is nothing stopping Nottingham from having the first fleet of driverless taxis.”

Last month, Nottingham and Derby launched a Metro Strategy that will see the two city councils work closer together.

Mr Moffett said he hopes this will lead to more collaboration between businesses, adding that marketing the East Midlands to potential investors is “about playing the right card at the right time. Internationally, the Midlands Engine is the right proposition for us.

“However, it’s important that the individual cities in the East Midlands have a strong identity and don’t become an amorphous lump.”