A partnership intended to position the UK at the forefront of self-driving vehicle technology has been signed by the Government with Wayve.
Originally established in Cambridge and now headquartered in London, the company recently revealed new funding of potentially more than £1.11 billion, which gave the business a valuation of £6.66 billion.
The new Memorandum of Understanding with the Government is designed to deepen collaboration on next-generation self-driving technologies and support the scale-up. The agreement brings together government and industry for shared research interests, intended to assist the responsible deployment of automated vehicles and reinforce the position of the UK in autonomous mobility.
By linking research with real-world manufacturing and deployment, the partnership aims to encourage new investment and the creation of skilled jobs. The agreement sets out how the Department for Business and Trade and Wayve will collaborate on moving automated vehicles from the prototype stage to commercially viable services on UK roads. This includes work on safety assurance, simulation and the integration of technology into production-ready vehicles.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said: “This partnership with Wayve shows how government is backing high‑growth British scale‑ups through our Modern Industrial Strategy to turn world‑leading research into real‑world deployment. By working hand‑in‑hand with innovative companies, we are accelerating self‑driving technology while anchoring jobs, investment and manufacturing here in the UK — making Britain the best place to start, scale and grow a business.”
Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said: “I’m delighted to deepen our collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade. We share the Government’s ambition to drive economic growth through the development of the self-driving vehicle sector in the UK and globally. Strengthening domestic capabilities will anchor high-value manufacturing in the UK, create thousands of skilled jobs across the supply chain, and support the future of the automotive industry. This is in addition to the transformative benefits to road safety to be gained from self-driving vehicles deployed at scale. Wayve has a proud history of developing our technology in the UK. We look forward to working with DBT on a shared set of priorities to ensure the UK continues to lead and that the full set of benefits is realised across the country.”
Liz Kendall, Science and Technology Secretary, said: “Wayve is a true British AI success story, putting the UK at the forefront of self-driving technology. This agreement will help secure high-skilled tech and advanced manufacturing jobs in this country. By working with companies such as Wayve we are rebuilding Britain for the modern age and sending a clear signal that the UK is the best place for ambitious tech firms to start up and scale up.”
The partnership also intends to support the ambition for the UK to become a global hub for automated vehicle manufacturing. Wayve will share insights from its real-world trials with regulators to support the national rollout of self-driving services and assist in the development of future standards and regulations.
Image source: LinkedIn