Aurrigo secures grant to drive transport innovation

A Coventry-based autonomous technology company is set to accelerate transport innovation.

Aurrigo International plc, which employs over 110 people at its advanced engineering centre, has secured more than £1 million in Government-backed funding to support four new projects focused on sustainable airport and transport solutions.

The grants come from the Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder Enhancements programme, funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles – a joint unit of the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Transport – in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic, as well as from Innovate UK’s Launchpad initiative.

David Keene, chief executive of Aurrigo International plc, said: “These awards reflect our commitment to building the next generation of intelligent, sustainable and scalable transport systems that operate in both urban and airside operations.

“From immersive VR for airside training to real-world AV deployments and rural mobility innovation, we’re proud to be working with exceptional partners across the UK to bring transformative change to both aviation and ground transport.

“This funding helps us to accelerate and, importantly, prove technologies in the real world, speeding up adoption and ensuring the UK continues to lead the world when it comes to autonomous vehicle deployment.”

The four projects include:

Ramp Ready – Deploys autonomous cargo and passenger vehicles at East Midlands Airport, refining multi-vehicle operations, enhancing environmental testing and introducing modular, low-volume manufacturing.
Runway to Autonomy – Explores fully driverless baggage handling vehicles in collaboration with International Airlines Group, establishing safety, regulatory and cybersecurity standards for “No User in Charge” operations.
Kirkwall AutoLink – Assesses the feasibility of a zero-emission autonomous shuttle connecting Kirkwall Harbour and Kirkwall Airport, supporting rural decarbonisation and community-led transport solutions.
Visualising Airside Baggage Operations (VABO) – Integrates virtual reality into airport simulations, enabling staff training and operational planning within immersive 3D environments.

Together, these projects will generate valuable operational data, test new technologies in real-world settings and explore scalable solutions for airports and community transport.

Mark Cracknell, programme director at Zenzic, added: “We are delighted with the exciting projects selected through the CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies and Enhancements funding competitions.

“Aurrigo is a fantastic example of the calibre of company leading the way for the UK CAM sector and we’re very excited to share the news of their project successes.

“The deployment of CAM solutions has incredible potential to improve commercial and public transport, while potentially providing a huge boost to the UK economy.

“These four projects will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the commercial readiness of the technology while also providing valuable insight into future opportunities and use.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →