Aurrigo secures £1m+ grants to advance new autonomous transport innovations

One of the UK’s leading autonomous technology specialists has secured more than £1m of grants to accelerate sustainable airport and transport innovations.

Aurrigo International plc, which employs over 110 people at its advanced engineering centre in Coventry, has secured support from The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme and Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme to start work on four exciting new projects.

The Pathfinder programme is funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT), delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.

Launching this summer, the groundbreaking Aurrigo work spans simulation, feasibility studies and real-world vehicle trials at East Midlands Airport, in The Orkney Islands and closer to home in the West Midlands.

They also involve close collaboration with leading industry partners International Airlines Group (IAG), Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRAINS) and Urban Foresight.

David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo International plc, commented: “These awards reflect our commitment to building the next generation of intelligent, sustainable, and scalable transport systems that operate in both urban and airside operations. From immersive VR for airside training to real-world AV deployments and rural mobility innovation, we’re proud to be working with exceptional partners across the UK to bring transformative change to both aviation and ground transport.”

He continued: “This funding helps us to accelerate and, importantly, prove technologies in the real world, speeding up adoption and ensuring the UK continues to lead the world when it comes to autonomous vehicle deployment.”

Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “We are delighted with the exciting projects selected through the CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies and Enhancements funding competitions. Aurrigo is a fantastic example of the calibre of company leading the way for the UK CAM sector and we’re very excited to share the news of their project successes.

“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions has incredible potential to improve commercial and public transport, while potentially providing a huge boost to the UK economy.

“These four projects will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the commercial readiness of the technology while also providing valuable insight into future opportunities and use,” he added.

The four projects are:

• Ramp Ready: The Future of Airport Logistics

• Runway to Autonomy: Removing No User in Charge Obstacles for Autonomous Baggage Handling Vehicles

• Kirkwall AutoLink Outline Business Case (OBC)

• Visualising Airside Baggage Operation (VABO)