DRIVING FORWARD:
How the UK is attracting top innovators in automated mobility
With autonomous vehicles set to make global cities smarter and our world cleaner, tech scaleups from around the world are fulfilling their ambitions in the UK’s advancing Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technology sector.
The global mobility landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, propelled by technological advancements and a growing emphasis on sustainability. This transition has seen a significant rise in autonomous vehicles, with manufacturers and businesses upping their investments in self-driving technologies to revolutionise urban transportation.
Leading this charge is the UK—under its vision to develop and fund the world’s highest potential mobility solutions. Ranked one of the top ten markets for autonomous vehicle readiness, it has proven to be a fertile ground for global CAM technology scaleups to achieve their growth potential.
PROJECTIONS FOR THE UK’S CAM SECTOR in 2035*
*Statistics from Connected and Automated Mobility 2025, 2022
The UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is furthering progress through its new global tech awards—the Unicorn Kingdom: Pathfinder Awards (UKPAs). With an aim to identify the brightest and best tech scaleups from across the globe, the awards will offer innovators within CAM Technology, Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Trade Solutions (DTS) the support they need to accelerate their UK expansion.
UK INVESTMENT
The UK government has long been working to shape the future of scaleups within the CAM technology sector. Through access to pioneering CAM research institutions, established industry players, and an expansive investor network, it has crafted a list of world-leading credentials that ensures businesses have every opportunity to succeed.
Not only has the UK government helped to secure a £400 million joint investment fund to back 90 cutting-edge CAM technology projects, it has also provided £100 million in new Research and Development (R&D) funding to support the commercial deployment of self-driving innovations.
UK GOVERNMENT'S INVESTMENT IN CAM
Beyond its investments, the UK has teamed up with global players to extend its CAM offering. This has seen the launch of CAM Testbed UK, a comprehensive set of eight facilities for the modelling, simulation, and testing of CAM solutions. It is the only environment in the world where ideas can be taken from concept to development and deployment virtually and physically—and all within a 3-hour drive.
These government initiatives stem from the UK’s unwavering commitment to innovation, through which it seeks to propel both home and global businesses forward.
The UKPAs are a testament to this drive; they exist to continue a legacy of collaboration and progression.
Open to high-potential tech scaleups worldwide, the UKPAs offer insight into the UK’s supportive business landscape—where winners can benefit from a bespoke programme, including meetings with government and industry specialists, exposure from promotional activities, and help in establishing UK headquarters.
Eligible businesses can apply to the UKPAs until 30 April 2024, with the final ceremony set to take place in person in the UK later in the year. For scaleups hoping to make their mark on the tech industry, it is an opportune moment for their ideas to reach an international audience, their business needs to be met, and their future ambitions to be nurtured.
