Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Mass transit

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to invest up to £41.5 million in innovation projects across two competition strands.

The aim of this competition is to support the CCAV ambition to progress technologies, products and services into commercial offerings.

This competition is split into 2 strands.

• Strand 1: Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Deployments
• Strand 2: Connected and Automated Mobility: Mass Transit (this strand)

In strand 2 of the competition, your proposal must identify applications and quantify the real-life potential of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) as a mass transit solution.

We have allocated up to £1.5 million to fund feasibility study projects in this strand. Your project’s total grant funding request must be between £50,000 and £200,000.

Your project must:

• start by 1 January 2023
• end by 30 November 2023
• carry out all project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK
• work with Department for Transport (DfT) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to ensure compatibility with regulatory requirements

To lead a project your organisation must:

• be a UK registered business of any size, research organisation, research technology organisation (RTO) or public sector organisation (local authority or transport authority)
• collaborate with 1 other UK registered organisation

Your project must include as a lead or grant claiming partner a:

• local or regional authority or a local or regional transport authority
• Connected & Automated Mobility (CAM) technology provider or an infrastructure provider

The aim of this competition is to target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities, and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment.

Where appropriate, your project must align with the nine principles of the Future of Mobility Urban Strategy.

In this strand: Commercialising Connected & Automated Mobility: Mass transit, CCAV is seeking proposals where Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) could deliver a significantly more cost effective, and low carbon solution than traditional public transport options.

Your project must identify a new application for CAM as a mass transit solution on a segregated route and quantify the real-life potential of a suitable solution.

Your proposed automated vehicle services must be on physically segregated infrastructure: routes that are not open to public access: for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. This can include for example, tracks, disused railway routes.

Your proposal must:

• consider the utilisation of new CAM technologies for innovative mass transit services on segregated infrastructure, including both new and disused infrastructure, or infrastructure that would otherwise require a significant upgrade
• propose the design, delivery, and operational cases for the introduction of a service on a specific, UK route currently underserved by public transport, including how it could be practically delivered and operated as part of an integrated public transport network.
• solve real-life transport problems and focus on areas and routes in the UK that are currently underserved by public transport, particularly areas where traditional rail services are not deemed viable
• set out why an automated vehicle service would provide better outcomes than traditional mass transit modes, for example, heavy and light rail, tram and bus, including guided busways
• consider how a service could be improved or expanded in the future, for example, as technology develops and legislation enables the use of automated vehicles on public roads

Click here to watch the recording of our industry engagement event from 24th May. Find the slides and the pitches here.

If you would like help to find a project partner, contact KTM’s Transport team.