Autonomous driving funding for Westbourne

Leading communications company Westbourne has been awarded funding to carry out feasibility studies on public perceptions of driverless vehicles.

The study is part of a project led by People in Autonomous Vehicles in Urban Environments (PAVE), a consortium of experts in the field of driverless cars, which will engage with politicians, academics, manufacturers and insurers.

With Westbourne’s addition, the consortium includes Westbourne, the UK Autonomic Energy Authority’s RACE facility, Siemens, Amey and Oxbotica.

James Bethell, managing director of Westbourne, said: “The benefits of driverless cars are potentially enormous. But new technologies can often arouse unexpected concerns such as safety and their economic impact. Too often, great new technologies can be delayed if they do not anticipate these concerns. Shale gas, genetically modified foods and nuclear energy are examples of promising technologies that faced resistance when deployed.

“This project is an important step in understanding how government and industry can collaborate to address these worries. Westbourne looks forward to utilising our experience and expertise to help companies and UK policymakers better understand the role of driverless cars in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

The PAVE project is the result of Innovate UK’s £20 million fund for investment in collaborative R&D projects to stimulate developments in autonomous vehicles and connected transport systems.

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