The South West has been awarded up to £20 million in UK Government funding to enhance its reputation as one of the world's best places to develop, test and deploy autonomous technologies.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has today confirmed that the region is one of six across England and Wales that will receive additional funding through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.
For the South West, the funding will enable increased research and development into technologies that can be deployed on land, at sea and in the air which ultimately result in it becoming home to a Global Autonomy Cluster.
Led by the University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Council, the partnership draws together innovative and cutting-edge organisations and facilities that span Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.
Designed to build on the South West's strong defence and marine expertise, it is envisaged the funding will make it easier for businesses to trial new systems safely by improving access to the region's unique assets.
These include the Lulworth ranges and BattleLab in Dorset, Predannack and the National Drone Hub in Cornwall, the Appledore Maritime Innovation Centre in Devon, South West Future Flight Innovation Zone in Somerset, and Smart Sound Plymouth, all of which can be used by the armed forces in addition to those developing dual-use autonomous innovations.
It will also focus on cutting through regulatory barriers, supporting business innovation and accelerating business growth by creating high-quality jobs, driving new investment into the region, and supporting sovereign capabilities.
The announcement builds on Plymouth's status as the UK's National Centre for Marine Autonomy and one of five locations supported through the £250 million Defence Growth Deal programme, leading to a programme of work being driven through the
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Those high-profile designations are already delivering benefits at the regional and national level, but the vision is for this new funding to elevate the region's ambitions to be a global powerhouse at every level of the autonomy sector.
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