Partners – V-CAL

North East Automotive Alliance

Since its launch in 2015, the North East Automotive Alliance has been driving innovation and growth in the North East automotive sector. As a collaborative industry-led cluster, it is dedicated to fostering a competitive and sustainable environment for businesses and creating a cohesive network that thrives on collaboration and trust.

Distinguished as one of the fastest-growing clusters in Europe, the NEAA is on a mission to elevate the North East as a prominent global automotive and electrification hub. Whether companies are engaged in car manufacturing, producing components, delivering services, or advancing electrification technologies, the NEAA stands ready to champion their endeavours. Since its formation, the NEAA has been involved in the delivery of £33m of publicly funded projects to support innovation and business growth.

Vantec Europe

Vantec Europe Limited have provided third party logistics (3PL), warehousing and supply chain management services to the automotive sector since 1990. Since then, Vantec has grown organically and developed its range of services to become a preferred 3PL provider, with 13 operations in the UK and a key customer base including in the automotive and premium vehicles; construction equipment; lighting; electric battery and offshore renewable energy industries.

Vantec Europe are also a partner in the pioneering V-CAL (Connected and Automated Logistics) project. This will build upon the Department for Digital Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) funded 5G CAL project, which successfully delivered a working proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstration of the UK’s first autonomous HGV in June 2022.

They have launched the Vantec Interactive Experience (VIE) which uses gamification and the latest in 3D, immersive and simulation technology, to provide unique, engaging, and intuitive training solutions, replicating real-life environments and scenarios.

Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK

Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK is located in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It was built on the site of the former RAF Unsworth airfield near the A19 and A1231. Nissan will provide access to the private on-site test track to prove out the vehicles before road trials. The factory is connected to both the UK Nissan Distribution Centre (NDS) and Vantec via a private road system that the project will utilise throughout the project lifecycle for all road trials.  

Oxa

Founded in 2014, Oxa is a global leader in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology for industrial and commercial fleets, enabling safe, efficient and reliable operations. Oxa is focused on the most commercially viable sectors for AVs and where the world needs autonomy most, today: Industrial Logistics, Asset Monitoring and Shared Passenger Transportation. These target markets sit within a category known as Industrial Mobility Automation (IMA).

At the heart of Oxa’s offering is Oxa Driver, a common core embodied AI system designed to be the world’s first universal driver. Highly explainable and globally adaptable, it possesses the foundational skills to drive anywhere, both on and off-highway, in all conditions – and accretes skills to be a ‘local expert’ in specific places, for specific use cases. Oxa employs a novel generative AI approach to train and assure Oxa Driver ‘hyperlocally’ which minimises source data requirements and accelerates the scaling of self-driving operations. For more information, visit oxa.tech.

ANGOKA

ANGOKA is an IoT security company focused on protecting machine-to-machine communications for Smart Cities and Mobility. Headquartered in Belfast, with offices in London and The Hague, ANGOKA offers high-assurance cybersecurity solutions that protect critical systems of connected devices. An increasing number of connected devices are used for managing and operating our Smart Cities, and to ensure their safety and resilience, securing the device communication becomes paramount. ANGOKA creates trust where no trust can be assumed.

Newcastle University's Future Mobility Group

Newcastle University is a leading centre of transport technology in Europe, with a significant research role in the development of: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV); air quality and decarbonisation; alternative fuels; connected infrastructure for smart cities, and; smart transport for ageing and mobility. In the field of connected and autonomous vehicle research, FMG is performing: Quantitative investigations of end users’ interaction with highly automated vehicles during automated driving, and human drivers’ and remote operators’ takeover control; Qualitative investigations (through in-depth interviews and focus groups) of end users’ requirements about the human-machine interactions of automated vehicles; Designing user-friendly human-machine interactions and human-machine interfaces based on end users’ requirements; Evaluation (both quantitative and qualitative) of user-friendly design of automated vehicles on end-users’ performance, attitude and perception.

BP International Limited

Bp International Limited is an Integrated Energy Company whose ambition is to be net zero by 2050 or sooner and to help the world get to net zero. They have a number of aims to support this ambition including more $ for new energies‎, clean cities and corporates, and more clean energy. The Digital Science team will represent bp’s involvement in the project. Their remit is to consider the effects of frontier technology on bp’s current and future business.  

Womble Bond Dickinson

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP (WBD) is a Top 20 UK law firm with strong roots in the North East and offices in seven cities in the UK and 22 cities in the US.  WBD’s lawyers advise clients in relation to complex and critical issues across multiple, sophisticated sectors such as manufacturing, technology, transport and energy.  WBD’s genuine sector knowledge and experience mean that it is well placed to provide support in relation to the wide variety of legal issues that will be generated by a project of this type.   