Shaping the Next Decade of Connected and Autonomous Mobility in the UK

The July 2025 CCAV Cohort Event marked an important moment in the UK’s journey towards Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM). Ten years on from the creation of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), the event was less about looking back and more about charting the course for the next decade. It brought together government, industry, and academia to reflect on progress, debate regulation, and, crucially, highlight new opportunities for UK companies to shape and benefit from this fast-evolving sector. 

Michael Talbot, Deputy Head of CCAV, opened with a reflection on how far the UK has come since the early policy statements of 2015. In the space of a decade, the conversation has shifted from concepts and pilots to a legislative and regulatory framework that can support deployment at scale. With the Automated Vehicles Act now in place, and the launch of the Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, the focus for CCAV is firmly on delivery. That ambition is backed by fresh investment, with the announcement of £150 million in new funding through the CAM Pathfinder Programme. For UK innovators, this is a clear signal that government wants to accelerate the move from research to real-world services, and that strong bids and practical projects will find support. 

Much of the discussion revolved around the implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act. Consultations are now open on three key areas: the protection of marketing terms to ensure that words like “self-driving” or “autonomous” can only be used for authorised vehicles; the Statement of Safety Principles, which will enshrine the expectation that automated vehicles must be at least as safe as a competent human driver; and the Automated passenger services (APS) permitting scheme, which will allow pilot deployments from 2026 with fare-paying passengers. These consultations may sound technical, but they are fundamental to building public trust and creating a stable market environment. They are also a chance for industry, academia, and local authorities to have their say on the rules that will govern deployment for years to come: do participate to have your voice heard, it’s essential for industry and academia to inform policymakers in order for policies to be functional.  

David Webb, Head of Innovation at CCAV, reminded the audience that this is not just about regulation, but about industrial strategy. CAM is being positioned as a pillar of the UK economy, with benefits reaching into advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and export growth. Stronger collaboration between CCAV, Innovate UK, Zenzic, and the Automotive Council is intended to ensure that research and policy translate into competitive advantage for UK companies. 

Zenzic’s contribution to the day provided a sense of the bigger picture, with its updated Roadmap to 2035 setting out priorities ranging from Vision Zero safety ambitions to addressing driver shortages in freight and bus sectors, tackling rural mobility gaps, and investing in infrastructure to support inclusive, scalable deployment. Insights from its CAM supply chain report also pointed to a shift in emphasis, with software-based solutions playing a growing role and new strategies needed to stimulate demand and investment. 

Financing innovation was another strong theme, with the National Wealth Fund outlining its £27.8 billion portfolio and its potential role in supporting CAM projects. For UK companies, this could mean more than just grant funding — from equity and debt through to guarantees, there are multiple routes to access capital for scaling technology and infrastructure. Alongside this, Horizon Europe remains a vital channel for collaborative research and development, with the UK now fully participating as an Associated Country. That opens the door for UK organisations to lead or join consortia across a wide range of CAM-related calls, from large-scale demonstrations to next-generation AI-enabled systems. 

The event also highlighted the importance of skills. Formula Student AI, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers with support from CCAV, continues to provide a pipeline of industry-ready graduates. These competitions are not only producing engineers who understand CAM technologies but also creating valuable links between academia, industry, and government. 

The message running through the day was clear: the UK has the ambition, the framework, and now the funding to lead in Connected and Automated Mobility. But this will only be realised if companies, researchers, and local authorities step forward to engage. The consultations are open now and will help shape the rules of the road for automated vehicles in Britain. Funding calls are live and represent real opportunities for UK businesses to move from ideas into deployment. The coming decade is about delivery — and the time to act is now.