Skip to main content

UK government funds connected vehicle development with a Flourish

The UK government has selected the Flourish consortium as a winner of its multi-million pound research grant to fuel development in user-centric autonomous vehicle technology and connected transport systems. The new programme, co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, will focus on the core themes of connectivity, autonomy and customer interaction. The three-year project, led by Atkins and worth US$8 million, seeks to develop products and services that maximise the benefits of connected and
February 5, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
The UK government has selected the Flourish consortium as a winner of its multi-million pound research grant to fuel development in user-centric autonomous vehicle technology and connected transport systems. The new programme, co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, will focus on the core themes of connectivity, autonomy and customer interaction.

The three-year project, led by 1677 Atkins and worth US$8 million, seeks to develop products and services that maximise the benefits of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) for users and transport authorities.

Flourish will address vulnerabilities in the technology powering CAVs, with a focus on the critical areas of cyber security and wireless communications. The consortium will aim to develop tools that enable vehicle manufacturers and transport authorities to create a safe and secure CAV network.

The project will bring together industry and academic experts in the field of autonomous and connected systems, cyber security, data innovation and social research, and will further advance the South West region as an independent centre for the development and testing of CAVs.

Lead partner Atkins will provide project management, transport modelling and intelligent mobility expertise. Other consortium members include Airbus Group Innovations, TSS 16 Aimsun, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire County Council, 7800 Transport Systems Catapult, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England, among others.

Airbus Group Innovations will provide expertise in the technology areas of model-based system engineering, cyber security, human-machine interfaces, human state monitoring and data fusion, while Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire County Council will provide on-road trials support and drive local community engagement.

TSS Aimsun will assemble a simulation test environment using its traffic modelling software that can be used for the assessment of different automated vehicle implementation scenarios from motorway to urban use.

Transport Systems Catapult will develop human-machine interfaces and provide support for simulated and real world testing.

Roland Meister, head of transport for Innovate UK said: “We’re excited by the Flourish consortium’s project and in particular, its focus on addressing cyber security vulnerabilities and the implications of connected and autonomous vehicle technology for an ageing population. This particular funding programme builds on previous government R&D investment into driverless cars and is a key part of a strategy to ensure that UK-based companies establish market-leading solutions, helping to build a strong supply chain for connected and autonomous vehicle technology and increase UK economic growth.”

Flourish, a multi-sector collaboration, is one of eight consortia that will help to advance the successful implementation of CAVs in the UK, by developing services and capabilities that link user needs and system requirements.

Related Content

  • UK Government to review laws in preparation for self-driving vehicles
    March 12, 2018
    Jesse Norman, the UK government’s road minister, has announced a three-year regulatory review to examine any legal obstacles to the widespread introduction of self-driving vehicles and highlight the need for regulatory reforms. It aims to ensure that the country remains a primary location to develop, test and drive these vehicles. The inquiry will be carried out by the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission. It is also part of the government’s Future of Mobility Grand Challe
  • Videalert: Bath experience highlights joined-up thinking
    August 7, 2019
    Councils can achieve greater value with multi-purpose traffic enforcement and management platforms, says Tim Daniels of Videalert. But UK authorities could also help deliver solutions by committing to ‘joined up thinking’... Joined-up thinking’ used to be a commonly related governmental phrase and implied a commitment to looking at elements of a problem to deliver a holistic solution. However, the way that successive governments have addressed major issues has demonstrated their inability to achieve join
  • Consortium to trial autonomous shuttles at Australian university
    June 8, 2017
    A consortium including HMI Technologies, La Trobe University, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Australian Road Research Group (ARRB) and Keolis Downer is to conduct a trial of autonomous vehicles in Victoria, Australia to explore the use of driverless shuttles in the context of a university’s student mobility requirements.
  • Funding for electric taxis in West Yorkshire
    April 4, 2017
    West Yorkshire Combined Authority has secured UAS$2.4 million (£1.9 million) of UK Government funding to support an increase in ultra-low emission electric taxi and private hire operation on local roads. Eighty-eight dedicated taxi and private hire charge points will be installed at key public transport and taxi operation sites across West Yorkshire, thanks to the Combined Authority’s successful bid to the Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Taxi Scheme. Several major