IPSWICH, 23rd JULY, 2025 – SUFFOLK County Council has secured funding from the UK Government to explore the viability of incorporating self-driving shuttles into the county’s transport network.
The ADASTRA Feasibility Study is one of 14 studies to have received 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.
The project will see Suffolk County Council work with world-leading city planners from the Mobility Hub Delivery Partner, Smart City Consultancy, to explore the viability of deploying self-driving shuttles as part of a county-wide Mobility Hub network.
Assessing the technical, operational, and regulatory requirements for integrating autonomous shuttles into existing transport systems, the study will combine in-depth feasibility studies with proactive stakeholder engagement to refine the business case for the use of self-driving shuttle services in the county.
This includes defining customer, legislative, and operational requirements for autonomous shuttle deployment, producing preliminary design concepts, executing comprehensive cost and market analysis and undertaken a series of public engagement consultations.
Cllr. Chris Chambers, Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste at Suffolk County Council, said: “We are committed to delivering a range of transport options to meet the changing needs of the county. The use of self-driving, environmentally-friendly shuttles operating alongside traditional services as part of a Mobility Hub network is a key component of our strategy, and Adastra will enable us to test our ideas with passengers and other stakeholders, giving people the chance to see the shuttles in action and build out the longer-term business case.”
One of the main aims of the study is to ensure that technical analyses and market insights directly feed into an actionable business case, paving the way for commercial deployment and setting a benchmark for autonomous transport solutions in rural settings.
Early tests of autonomous shuttles in rural areas have demonstrated significant benefits for communities, from improving accessibility to reducing social isolation, tackling driver shortages and offering a more sustainable and cost-effective mode of transport.
Ian Pulford, Director at Smart City Consultancy, said: “We are passionate about delivering new innovation and driving adoption of new autonomous services – Adastra is designed to do just that, and is an important first step in delivering the new Mobility Hub network across Suffolk, better connecting local services, creating new ways for people to travel and creating jobs as part of a
novel first-mile, last-mile self-driving shuttle solution that could ultimately become a blueprint for wider deployment.”
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 delighted to announce Suffolk County Council and Smart City Consultancy’s ADASTRA project as one of the fourteen exciting CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies taking place across the UK.
“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions in rural towns and cities has the potential to improve accessibility, reduce emissions, and create a more reliable and inclusive transport network – the ADASTRA project will be key to demonstrating this.
“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