STOKE-ON-TRENT, 28th JULY, 2025 – THREE Stoke-on-Trent businesses have received Government funding to explore the potential of rolling out autonomous vehicles across the UK.

The MAEVe feasibility study is one of 14 projects to have been awarded funding and support from the UK Government and industry through the Connected and Automated Mobility CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition, delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.

Led by Aim Technologies, EVIE Autonomous and Cavonix, all of whom are based in Staffordshire, the project will explore the viability of developing a modular platform which allows for the easy integration of autonomous vehicles in different environments.

The trio will work collaboratively to understand the needs of customers, design a modular autonomous vehicle platform and develop a business case for bringing the technology to market.

The UK Government announced in its long-awaited Modern Industrial Strategy that it sees a thriving CAM ecosystem as being key to driving innovation and helping create a £40bn CAM sector and over 6,500 jobs in the industry by 2040.

Speaking about the role an AV modular system would play in helping achieve this, Steven Lake, Founder & CEO at Aim Technologies, said: “An essential ingredient for the commercial success of CAM within the UK is affordability. Our completely vehicle and drive-train agnostic modular approach, both on the vehicle platform and Autonomous Driving System (ADS), enables a highly scalable solution to achieve volume pricing and affordability”.

The Feasibility Studies (FS) Competition is part of the £150million CAM Pathfinder programme which was announced in the Government’s long-awaited Industrial Strategy.

The UK Government sees a thriving CAM ecosystem as being key to driving innovation and helping it realise its ambition of creating a £40bn CAM sector and over 6,500 jobs in the industry by 2040.

Mark Cracknell, Programme Director at Zenzic, said: “We are thrilled to announce the MAEVe project, spearheaded by Aim Technologies, EVIE Autonomous and Cavonix, as one of the fourteen exciting CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies taking place across the UK.

“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions holds incredible promise – enhancing accessibility, reducing emissions, and fostering a transport network that is both reliable and inclusive. The MAEVe project will serve as a pivotal example in showcasing those benefits.

 

“We are looking forward to working with the project consortia as they further develop their business case, demonstrate the commercial readiness of the service, and provide vital insight into the opportunities presented by the deployment of CAM solutions in regions throughout the UK.”

 

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About the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV):

CCAV is a joint policy unit of the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). CCAV leads the way in shaping and delivering the UK government’s policies on connected and autonomous vehicles, ensuring that the UK remains at the cutting edge of this transformative technology.

About Zenzic:

Zenzic was established by government and industry to champion the UK Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) ecosystem. As a collaborative organisation, Zenzic strives to place the UK at the forefront of the global CAM revolution by promoting innovation and enabling UK organisations to make significant contributions to the future of mobility.

About Innovate UK:

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. Our mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.

Media contact:

Bryce Wilcock, Account Director, Creo Comms

M: 0787 933 9244 | T: 0191 562 3134

E: bryce@creocomms.co.uk