Skip to main content

UK smart mobility living lab launched in London

UK transport consultancy, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), has launched the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich; a real-life environment where connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), services and processes can be safely developed, evaluated and integrated within the local community. Based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London and supported by UK government, the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich helps organisations bring solutions to market faster by enabling them to be trialled a
February 19, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
UK transport consultancy, the Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL), has launched the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich; a real-life environment where connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), services and processes can be safely developed, evaluated and integrated within the local community.

Based in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London and supported by UK government, the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab @ Greenwich helps organisations bring solutions to market faster by enabling them to be trialled and validated in a real-life environment. Vehicle manufacturers, OEMs and tech developers can use the lab to assist with research and development, concept testing and validation, launching new technology or services, and understanding how new technology is perceived in a real world environment.

TRL has identified three clear challenges facing the CAV market today; the choice and variety of technologies available to manufacturers, the rate at which the capacity and speed of those technologies are developing and the automotive industry’s ability to adapt quickly enough to capitalise on the opportunities this presents. The UK Smart Mobility Living Lab aims to help organisations address these challenges by providing an open innovation environment in which industry, academia and the public sector can collaborate to accelerate the development of safe, efficient and effective CAV systems.

London provides the ideal location to explore the interoperability of CAVs with other transport services; due to the permissive regulations, thriving automotive industry and excellent research base and innovation infrastructure.

Greenwich benefits from a diverse range of transport modes including roads, buses, underground, rail, Docklands Light Railway, river bus and the Emirates Airline cable car. This provides an ideal environment to test the interaction and interoperability of connected and autonomous vehicles in a variety of different environments.

Rob Wallis, CEO of TRL commented: “The launch of the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab is an important step in the path towards vehicle automation. Many organisations are testing autonomous systems in dedicated off-street facilities, but the success of these vehicles largely depends on how they integrate into real world living environments, alongside existing transport services. By providing a welcoming and real-life regulatory environment for testing, TRL can help accelerate the adoption of new technology and enable the UK to play a pivotal role in the development of this global market over the next five years.”

Transport Minister Andrew Jones added: “Driverless cars will improve road safety and bring huge benefits to the economy. We have backed projects in Greenwich with £9m of funding that are helping to turn it into a major centre for testing and demonstration. I am excited to see the UK Smart Mobility Living Lab progress, helping to keep the UK at the forefront of the motoring of the future.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • CCAM innovation at ITS World Congress 2021
    September 27, 2021
    We live in an era of increasingly cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) but there’s still a huge way to go - visitors to ITS World Congress in Hamburg will be able to see projects, innovations and real-life solutions showcased in the city
  • TRL returns to Highways UK for 2017 and will host five industry briefings
    November 7, 2017
    TRL has announced it is returning to Highways UK for 2017 to communicate its core innovation programmes, following the announcement of a series of new projects. The company will also host five industry briefings together with partners. These will cover a range of future-focused subjects, including the electrification of vehicle fleets, platooning vehicles, new technology on strategic roads, asset data and the Smart Mobility Living Lab: London. On 08 November, speaker Denis Naberezhnykh, head of Ultra-low-
  • UK project demonstrates vehicle remote operation and autonomy for disabled drivers
    January 4, 2017
    The UK’s first demonstration of a remotely-operated autonomous vehicle service for people with reduced mobility has been successfully completed as part of the GATEway project (Greenwich Automated Transport Environment), led by TRL. Taking place at the InterContinental Hotel in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and completed using an autonomous-enabled Toyota Prius, the demonstration marked the end of a fortnight of testing in which GATEway partners Gobotix and O2 were able to successfully demonstrate remote
  • ITS World Congress 2025: home runs and deep dives on Tech Tours
    July 16, 2025
    There's plenty to see beyond the conference and exhibition at #ITSAtlanta2025