Government-backed funds to invest in CAM projects

The Cambridge Connector autonomous bus

Four new Government-backed funds have been set up to help Britain develop the mobility and transport solutions of tomorrow. ‘Mobilise’, ‘Demonstrate’, ‘Enable’ and ‘Feasibility Studies’ are the latest funding initiatives unveiled as part of the £150 million Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder programme announced in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. From cutting-edge technology to autonomous vehicles, CAM Pathfinder aims to provide funding to projects that are developing world-first mobility technologies, products, and services, right here in the UK.

By accelerating the development, deployment, and adoption of cutting-edge technologies and solutions, the government aims to support growth, investment, and unlock innovation across UK plc.
Sarah Jones MP, who was Minister of State for Industry at the Department for Business and Trade when the funds were approved, said: “Industry reports from the SMMT suggest that connected and automated mobility has the potential to generate a staggering £66 billion for the UK economy and more than 12,000 jobs in vehicle manufacturing alone.

“We want to help businesses seize that opportunity with both hands and that’s why we introduced the CAM Pathfinder R&D programme over the summer, strengthening a partnership with industry that is seen hundreds of millions of pounds invested in CAM technologies and services. I am really pleased that we can announce the next round of CAM Pathfinder competitions, supporting high potential, innovative projects and the UK’s self-driving ambitions. The competitions will open this autumn with funding being made available for the next financial year.

“Here again, this work is backed by significant levels of government investment. More than £36 million of new funding will support the development of the UK's CAM Supply Chain. But when it comes to CAM development, it isn’t just about the money, although it does help. It is about creating the right regulatory environment, too. That is why my colleague, the Transport Secretary, is accelerating regulations for automated passenger services. We want to take a leaf out of California’s book where self-driving Jaguar I-Paces are ferrying people across the streets of San Francisco and Los Angeles. We want to do the same thing in the UK with commercial pilots launching from next spring.”

The CAM Pathfinder programme is being delivered on behalf of the UK Government by Innovate UK, and Zenzic. Details on the three funds were unveiled at a CAM Pathfinder launch event at the University of Warwick last week, which brought together over 100 experts from across academia, government and industry.

World-leading research
Mark Cracknell, programme director of Zenzic, said: “This announcement will provide a major boost to businesses across the UK who are already part of, or seeking to break into, the CAM supply chain. The grants will support critical, world-leading research and trials which will further strengthen the nation’s reputation as a global leader when it comes to developing and deploying the mobility and transport solutions of tomorrow.”

Mobilise, Demonstrate and Enable will support projects and trials with the potential to enhance commercial sectors such as maritime, logistics, manufacturing and aviation, as opposed to domestic vehicle services. The funds follow the launch of the Enhancements and Feasibility Studies programmes which were launched in July and amount to £18 million in funding, bringing the total amount of funding already committed from CAM Pathfinder to £58 million.

Mr Cracknell concluded: “Trials of autonomous port handlers, public buses and self-driving pods have already received funding from the Enhancements fund, as have over a dozen Feasibility Studies bringing together some of the brightest minds from across academia and industry, and these three new funds will further build on this success. They will ensure UK organisations continue to play an impactful role in the future of mobility, while providing a real boost to the economy, so we would encourage any business interested in getting involved to get in touch with us to find out more.”