BIRMINGHAM, 25th JULY, 2025 – The West Midlands is set to demonstrate how autonomous vehicles could revolutionise the way people across the UK attend events.
The CAM4EVENTS 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 ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ with support from Transport for West Midlands, Syselek and AJW Experience, the study will explore the viability of a business case for utilising connected and automated mobility (CAM) solutions to improve the way people get to popular event sites from public transport hubs.
The West Midlands has already been at the forefront of the UK’s CAM revolution, with Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry all hosting autonomous vehicle trials over recent years, and the CAM4EVENTS study aims to further cement the region’s reputation as a CAM powerhouse.
Over the next 11 months, the study will see the four organisations work collaboratively to develop an end-to-end service that integrates CAM event transportation directly into visitor ticket booking and travel planning systems. It will also explore whether such a service is commercially sustainable by evaluating market needs, technical feasibility and economic viability.
While many industries have already embraced automated vehicles, the organisations involved in the study see the potential of CAM solutions in event transport as being key to reducing congestion around venues, slashing carbon emissions and ensuring the long-term commercial success of events by improving the customer experience.
Chris Thompson, CEO at ‘You. Smart. Thing.’, said:
“We’re passionate about making event travel more personalised, accessible, and sustainable. CAM4EVENTS will demonstrate how connected and autonomous mobility can enhance visitor experience whilst addressing pressing challenges around congestion and emissions.
“We’re bringing together expertise from across transport and events industries to integrate autonomous vehicle solutions into end-to-end journeys. Merging CAM technology directly into travel planning and ticketing will improve a vast range of trips and help the UK stay ahead in smart transport.”
Matthew Shelton, Future Transport Services & Technology Lead at Transport West Midlands, said:
“Transport for West Midlands’ vision for CAM goes beyond just developing cutting-edge technology; it’s about delivering tangible benefits for our residents and visitors – reducing congestion, lowering emissions, and fundamentally enhancing the event experience.
Giles Fearnley, chair at AJW Experience Group, said: “We are thrilled to be contributing to this study which, taking learnings from experiences to date, has the opportunity to revolutionise the customer experience such that CAM solutions will play an ever-increasing role in event transportation.”
Alan Walker, Manager at Syselek, said:
“We are excited to bring our deep technical expertise in Connected and Automated Mobility to this project. Our focus will be on the technical evaluation of current CAM platforms, ensuring that the selected technologies are operationally sound and commercially viable for the complexities of large-scale events. This project is a crucial step in pairing mature CAM technologies with real-world needs. We are confident that this study will help accelerate the integration of safe, efficient, and sustainable automated vehicle services into the UK’s vibrant events sector.
“This study, linking CAM solutions directly into event ticketing and travel planning, aligns perfectly with the strategic goals of the ITS World Congress coming to Birmingham in 2027. Hosting the Congress will provide an unparalleled platform to showcase our advancements, like CAM4EVENTS, to a global audience. It’s a chance to demonstrate how the West Midlands is not just a leader in CAM trials, but a living laboratory for integrating these innovations into a truly smart, sustainable, and accessible transport network.”
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 CAM4EVENTS project, spearheaded by ‘You. Smart. Thing.’ with support from Transport for West Midlands, Syselek and AJW Experience, as one of the fourteen innovative CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies underway across the UK.
“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions in the events industry holds incredible promise – enhancing accessibility, reducing congestion and emissions, and improving the overall visitor experience. The CAM4EVENTS 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.”
For more information on Zenzic, visit: https://zenzic.io/
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.u
