The UK’s Automotive Council has appointed Paul Newman, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Oxbotica, as its Connected Automated Mobility (CAM) Champion.
The CAM Champion is a newly created role which will be an integral part of the Automotive Council’s mission to drive innovation and keep the UK at the forefront of CAM technologies development and deployment. Paul Newman has been given the important role of championing this technology and its supporting ecosystem. He will be responsible for helping to communicate the vision and roadmaps for CAM UK, as well as championing the UK’s international competitiveness in this space. In order to foster collaboration and drive investment and innovation in the sector, he will also chair a forum that will serve as an essential platform for discussing CAM’s potential with senior industry and government leaders.
Paul is a highly experienced and respected figure in the industry. He is Founder and CTO of Oxbotica and has been an academic for over twenty years at University of Oxford, where he is BP Professor of Information Engineering. He previously was head of the Oxford Mobile Robotics Group and founder of Oxford Robotics Institute, where he was director 2017 to 2022.
Paul also serves on the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and served on the Department of Transport’s science advisory council for 5 years. In 2015, he was elected a Fellow of the IEEE, the IET and the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2019 he was awarded the Academy’s Prestigious Silver Medal for personal contributions to engineering in the UK.
His focus lies on pushing the boundaries of autonomy techniques in terms of both endurance and scale, with the ultimate goal of helping to make CAM technologies more accessible and usable for everyone. Paul is well-positioned to champion CAM technologies, and his extensive knowledge and expertise will be invaluable in driving innovation and growth for the UK.
“We are delighted to welcome Paul as the UK’s CAM champion. His commitment to advocating for the many societal and environmental benefits of CAM technology will provide a powerful voice for the industry on this matter. He will take a leading role in championing strategic investment across both industry and government, ensuring CAM technology in the UK reaches its full potential.” Said Dr Graham Hoare, OBE, Chair Automotive Council.
“This appointment is a clear indication that the UK automotive industry is serious about promoting CAM and its many benefits. The technology offers a number of advantages, including improved safety, reduced congestion, and increased efficiency.” Said Mark Cracknell, Programme Director, Zenzic “We wish Paul all the best for his new role as CAM Champion, and are confident that with his leadership, vision and knowledge that CAM will be driven forward to deliver real benefits across our economy and society.”
“It is a privilege to be appointed CAM Champion for the thriving CAM sector in the UK. I am looking forward to building on the brilliant work already achieved, and helping to foster a collaborative CAM ecosystem that can come together to address the challenges, drive further innovation and celebrate the success of CAM in the UK both at home and abroad.” Said Paul Newman, CAM Champion and CTO of Oxbotica.
This appointment comes at a pivotal time for the CAM industry in the UK with the recent announcement of the seven projects awarded £81 million in combined government and industry funding for commercial self-driving passenger and freight services. The grants, part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme, will help British companies seize early opportunities to develop experimental projects into offerings ready for the market, This investment, together with the open supply-chain competition, builds upon previous Government support for initiatives such as the CAM Testbed UK, the CAM Scale-up Programme, and Interoperability Projects.