The UK government’s recently announced industrial strategy outlined ambitions to create over 38,000 jobs in a connected and automated mobility (CAM) industry that could be worth over £42bn by 2035, and to further these aims, it has announced an extra £150m in funding.
The industrial strategy from the UK government said: “To address the complexities in commercialising CAM vehicles, we will increase funding to our CAM Pathfinder programme. This funding is underpinned by the world-leading Automated Vehicles Act 2024, which paves the way for self-driving vehicles to be used safely and securely on British roads by removing the need for a safety driver. Alongside full implementation of the act by 2027, the government is also enabling commercial pilots of bus and taxi-like services from spring 2026.”
The new funding will be channelled through the CAM Pathfinder, which is seen as being key to realising the industry’s potential. Running until 2030, it is aimed at addressing the challenges of bringing CAM vehicles to market, providing funding for projects that are intended to develop ‘world-first’ technologies, products and services, ranging from ‘cutting-edge’ software to smart transport solutions.
Projects funded by CAM Pathfinder must demonstrate that the cutting-edge technology or mobility services being developed can help industries become safer, sustainable, inclusive and more productive.
A total of £18m has already been committed to support 37 projects in 2025, with details on the individual projects and the funding programmes to be unveiled over the coming weeks. By accelerating the development, deployment and adoption of such technologies and services, the objective is to support growth and investment, and unlock innovation across transport.
The CAM Pathfinder programme is delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), supported by Zenzic and Innovate UK. CCAV is a joint policy unit of the Department for Transport and the Department for Business and Trade. CCAV leads the way in shaping and delivering the UK government’s policies on connected and autonomous vehicles, ensuring the UK remains at the cutting edge of this transformative technology.
Zenzic was created by the government and industry to champion the CAM ecosystem and lead the UK in accelerating the self-driving revolution, with the goal of ensuring a safer, more secure, sustainable and inclusive transport future. The organisation aims to position the UK at the heart of the global CAM ecosystem by leveraging the power of innovation, through collaboration, to promote and enable UK organisations to play an impactful role in the future of mobility.
Commenting on the Pathfinder and what his organisation will be doing, Zenzic programme director Mark Cracknell said: “Innovation in CAM is more than just developing new technology, it’s a driver of investment, exports and skilled jobs across the country.
“From local suppliers to global exporters, the sector is creating real-world impact by building a more sustainable, inclusive and future-ready transport future, and the extension of CAM Pathfinder will be key to ensuring we continue to build on this success, while ensuring the UK remains a world-leader in the development and deployment of CAM solutions.”
In June 2025, UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the UK government will fast-track pilots to spring 2026, introducing self-driving commercial pilots on England’s roads. Firms will be able to pilot small-scale “taxi- and bus-like” services without a safety driver for the first time – which could be available to members of the public to book via an app – before a potential wider roll-out when the full Automated Vehicles Act becomes law from the second half of 2027.