A consortium led by TRL has been awarded US$17.8m of the UK government’s US$68m CAV testbed funding to create a new real-world test environment in London for the development of future mobility solutions.
The initial round of funding is part of the US$133m UK CAV testbed competitive fund and is the first investment by the UK government and industry to develop a coordinated national platform of CAV testing infrastructure.
As well as TRL, the consortium comprises DG Cities, Cisco, Costain, Cubic, Loughborough University, Transport for London and the London Legacy Development Corporation. Delivery partners include Millbrook Proving Ground and the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre.
The project will see the creation of a Smart Mobility Living Lab (SMLL) in London, based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and nearby Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford. It will provide a real-world urban testbed in a public environment, capable of demonstrating and evaluating the use, performance and benefits of CAV technology and mobility services in an accessible and globally recognizable context.
“Users of the SMLL will be able to collaboratively or independently test their ideas, technology and services in a real-world environment,” said Paul Zanelli, director, engineering and technology at TRL. “This exciting project will see us working closely with industry to develop the evidence case for bringing new products and services to market, and with local and national governments to address the challenges and opportunities of future mobility. This will ensure we gain the benefits and minimize the pain of change.”
October 26, 2017