Proud to be a founding signatory of UK automotive sector’s first diversity and inclusion charter 

 Aurrigo International plc (AIM: AURR, the “Company” or “Aurrigo”), a leading international provider of technology solutions, is proud to be a founding signatory of the UK automotive sector’s first Diversity & Inclusion Charter with the Automotive Council and commits to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce that is reflective of wider society. 

For more information, please see the Automotive Council news release below. 

AUTOMOTIVE COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE 

UK Automotive commits to workforce diversity and inclusion with landmark industry Charter 

• • UK automotive industry launches new Diversity & Inclusion Charter in collective commitment to make workforce reflective of wider society and attract more talent to fill critical skills gaps. 
• • Major brands representing a fifth of Britain’s automotive manufacturing workforce pledge to shift the dial as Auto Council report highlights scale of the sector’s diversity challenge and calls for faster progress. 
• • Landmark initiative to be announced tonight at the 105th SMMT Annual Dinner by SMMT President and Stellantis Senior Vice President Global Circular Economy, Alison Jones. 

On Tuesday 29 November, 2022 Sixteen of the UK automotive industry’s biggest brands came together to launch the sector’s first Automotive Diversity & Inclusion Charter.1 The founding signatories, representing a fifth of the sector’s manufacturing workforce, as well as organisations including Unite the Union and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), pledge a collective, public commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive (DE&I) workforce that is reflective of wider society. The landmark initiative will support ongoing efforts to retain and attract top talent as the industry undertakes its biggest technological and industrial transformation in more than a hundred years amid critical skills shortages. 

By signing the Charter, companies publicly recognise that creating a diverse and inclusive workforce is not only ethically responsible but good for business. The benefits include increasing employee satisfaction, motivation and engagement, leading to greater productivity and retention; improving decision making and problem solving; fostering greater creativity from diverse perspectives; and making companies – and the wider sector – more attractive to top talent. 

Signatories commit to take action in eight key areas with the aim of accelerating progress across all aspects of DE&I within their own companies. Pledges include appointing a board-level DE&I champion to lead change from the top; embedding DE&I policies into company values; improving recruitment practices to encourage diversity of applicants; supporting career opportunities and development for every employee; creating more flexible working environments; and reporting diversity data and progress to the Automotive Council on an annual basis. 

The Charter and pledges have been established in response to recommendations in the Automotive Council report Driving diversity, equity and inclusion in the UK automotive industry, which focuses, as a first step, on gender balance.2 While the report acknowledges that many companies have impressive DE&I programmes and initiatives in place, it shows the overall automotive manufacturing sector lags behind other UK industries, with women representing 12% of the workforce compared with 47% in the UK workforce as a whole. 

The report also identifies diversity as a business-critical issue, citing among other studies 2019 analysis from Mckinsey, which found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to experience above average profitability than those in the fourth quartile. In the case of ethnic and cultural diversity, this outperformance rose to 36%.3 

The UK Automotive Diversity & Inclusion Charter is the first time efforts to improve sectoral DE&I have been united under one banner and follows initiatives already in place across other sectors, including aviation and aerospace, defence, finance, rail and retail. It will provide a platform for the industry, via the Automotive Council, to share best practice, promote positive initiatives and report on progress in the years ahead. 

Announcing the Charter at the SMMT Annual Dinner this evening, Alison Jones, SMMT President and Stellantis Senior Vice President Global Circular Economy, is expected to say, “Despite talking about this for years, with some good initiatives and progress, the Automotive Council’s first Diversity Report shows that as an industry our results are, sadly, still really low. We have to accelerate our efforts again to ensure a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. I urge everyone to join this landmark initiative, alongside the sixteen founding organisations, to really make a positive human and business impact for our workforce, our organisations and our industry.” 

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive and Chair of the Automotive Council UK Competitiveness and Business Environment Group, said, “This Charter is a pivotal moment for the automotive industry – a collective pledge to drive positive change, drive out inequality, and demonstrate progress. UK Automotive is undergoing an immense transformation and our future success depends on attracting the best and brightest talent, irrespective of backgrounds, races, genders, cultures or abilities. A rich diversity of skills, perspectives and experience can give us a competitive advantage and I encourage the sector to support this important ambition.” 

The UK Automotive Diversity & Inclusion Charter will be launched tonight at the 105th SMMT Annual Dinner in London, an event attended by some 1,000 guests from across the automotive industry, government and the media. Businesses in the automotive sector interested in becoming signatories can contact the Automotive Council secretariat here for more information. 

Founding UK Automotive Diversity & Inclusion Charter Signatories 

Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) 

Aurrigo 

Bentley Motors 

BMW Group 

Cummins UK 

Honda Motor Europe 

Lotus 

McLaren Automotive Limited 

Nissan UK 

Robert Bosch 

Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) 

Stellantis 

TMD Friction UK Ltd 

Toyota 

Unite the Union 

Volkswagen Group UK 

Notes for editors 

1 Auto Council Charter – https://www.automotivecouncil.co.uk/ 

2 Auto Council Report – https://www.automotivecouncil.co.uk/2022/09/new-report-driving-diversity-equity-inclusion-in-the-uk-automotive-industry/ 

3 McKinsey Report – https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity 

About the Automotive Council 

The United Kingdom Automotive Council was established in December 2009. It is a senior industry forum for dialogue with government, tasked with establishing the UK automotive sector as a world leader. www.automotivecouncil.co.uk 

Media contacts 

Paul Mauerhoff (SMMT) 07809 522 181 pmauerhoff@smmt.co.uk 

For further enquiries: Instinctif Partners (Financial Communications)  Tim McCall, Rozi Morris

+44 (0)20 7457 2020  aurrigo@instinctif.com

Come visit us for Day 3 at the UK Pavilion stand at #ITSWC2022 in Los Angeles. A demo vehicle will be on display with an Aurrigo team on hand to answer any questions you may have. The Pavilion is hosted by Innovate UKand Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom for International Trade (DIT) in the US, supported by @ITS (UK) – Intelligent Transport Systems (UK), the @Transport Technology Forum and Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG)  Chris Keefe Miles Garner 
#uktrade #GREAT #innovation #events #ertico

A great day out for Aurrigo as it takes its self-driving cars to Northumberland – Business & Innovation Magazine

Autonomous technology automotive company Aurrigo headed to Northumberland last weekend to trial its self-driving vehicles at Alnwick Castle. The trial is part of a major new study by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), and insight and strategy consultancy Britain Thinks.

Latest News from Aurrigo

An iconic Northumberland venue that has hosted Harry Potter and The Transformers films was again in the spotlight this weekend when it held a major UK first.

Aurrigo, a world leader in autonomous technology, started a four-day trial of its self-driving vehicles at Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Gardens on Saturday, as part of a major new study led by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and insight and strategy specialists BritainThinks.

Local residents enjoyed the opportunity to attend ‘The Great Self Driving Exploration’ on the 19^th and 20^th June, where they took a closer look at self-driving vehicles, asked questions and even enjoyed a ride.

These trials are the first time that self-driving vehicles have been tested in rural communities and saw the firm’s Auto-Pod carry up to two passengers on a shared 500 metre path that connects the Alnwick Gardens to Alnwick Castle.

Aurrigo’s Auto-Shuttle, which can hold up to six people for this trial, was also operating, taking people from the busstation to the castle in a 1.2km route that was shared with live traffic, including cars, bikes and pedestrians.

Both self-driving vehicles use a suite of sensors to understand their surroundings and are electric-powered.

“It’s great to be showcasing our technology in such a beautiful location and the feedback we have received will beimportant in the future development of self-driving vehicles,” explained Ricky Raines, Operations Manager at Aurrigo.

“We believe these types of first and last mile transport is key to supporting people with mobility issues and thisExploration event will be extremely useful in helping understand how individuals in rural locations feel about self-driving technology and any changes that can be made to enhance the user experience.”

Mark Brassell, Director of The Alnwick Garden, added his support: “Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden are thrilled to be hosting The Great Self Driving Exploration, giving local people the opportunity to experience the latest innovations in self-driving vehicles.

“The event offered a fantastic opportunity for people to trial the vehicles themselves and learn more about the future of self-driving vehicles and their potential role in enhancing current transport provisions – delivering safer andmore accessible transport in the process.”

Aurrigo, which is currently completing other passenger trials in the UK used its appearance at Alnwick Castle to reveal its Auto-Deliver for the first time.

This static display gave people the chance to look around the self-driving ‘grocery delivery’ vehicle that could change the way we receive essential items to our doors.

The way it has been designed means organisations can complete multi-drops using the power of password/QR protected compartments, ideal for serving housing estates, University campuses or business parks.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison commented: “Self-driving technology has the potential to reform the way we getfrom A to B, making our future journeys easier, more environmentally friendly and, crucially, safer.

“I’m committed to ensuring this innovation improves road safety and, as we work to safely introduce self-driving vehicles to our roads in the coming years, it’s key the public is closely involved in the journey. I hope thesedemonstrations provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about the technology and experience the cutting-edge innovation first-hand.”

Lucy Farrow, Associate Partner at BritainThinks, concluded: “The BritainThinks team are delighted to be delivering this innovative research project in partnership with CCAV, UCL and Aurrigo. It offers a unique opportunity tounderstand not just what people think of self- driving vehicles as they are now, but also their hopes and expectations for the future.

“This will provide crucial insight to government and industry to support the development of self-driving technology that benefits everyone across the UK.”

For further information, please visit www.aurrigo.com or follow @aurrigotech on twitter

Aurrigo was selected from more than 20 applicants to receive the first round of grants. 

Aurrigo, a U.K.-based company focused on automated vehicle development, has created a digital model of the Grand Rapids airport’s airside operations, including each roadway, intersection and type of vehicle. In partnership with airport planning staff, Aurrigo’s team of simulation engineers and project management specialists used real-time data on fleet capacity and flight schedules to create a full simulation of current airside operations. 

The Aurrigo model also has the ability to plot possible future scenarios, such as the expected ongoing effects of labor shortages, the effect of severe weather events and flight delays, as well as to model tests of potential automated solutions to airside efficiency issues.

A new state-of-the-art driverless bus is being trialled at Birmingham Airport. Passengers travelling between the terminal and car park five will be able to take a free ride on the autonomous shuttle. The zero-emissions vehicle can carry up to ten passengers and uses sensors to understand its surroundings and comes to a halt if it senses any unexpected obstacles. Last year, Solihull Council became the first local authority in the country to buy its own Auto-Shuttle using a grant from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).

Birmingham Airport’s driverless shuttles are ‘the future’

Passengers are taking a special vehicle from car parks to the departures building.

A driverless shuttle, owned by Solihull Council and designed and built in Coventry, made its

debut in the grounds of a UK airport for the first time this week.

Aurrigo, which employs over 70 people at its Advanced Engineering Centre, will deploy its

10-seater Auto-Shuttle alongside live traffic on the roads of Birmingham Airport.

The company has mapped out a route that will initially transport staff from the Departures

entrance and Diamond House to Car Park 5, with the potential for the trial to be extended to

passengers later this month.

The zero-emissions autonomous shuttle uses a suite of sensors, including LiDAR, to

understand its surroundings and move safely around its environment.

For the purpose of testing, and in line with current legislation, a safety operator will be onboard

at all times, whilst the shuttle can also be manually driven with conventional controls

to give the ultimate in operational flexibility.

This latest project is an exciting Solihull Council-led initiative to test how Connected

Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) might be integrated into the borough’s transport network in the

future and follows a successful trial at the National Exhibition Centre last year.

Miles Garner, Sales & Marketing Director at Aurrigo, explained: “We are delighted to be

working with Solihull Council again to deliver another milestone, with Birmingham Airport

becoming the first ever Airport to test our autonomous shuttles passenger side on their

roads.

“Aviation is a major opportunity for Aurrigo, with a genuine desire to find new technologies

that can improve the passenger experience. This could be through our driverless shuttles,

our Auto-Sim modelling software or it could be through our Auto-Dolly cargo/luggage dolly

that can replace the traditional tugs that are commonplace in airports all over the world.”

He continued: “We are currently working on projects at Changi Airport in Singapore and

Gerald R. Ford International in North America, putting the UK on the global map for

autonomous technology deployment.”

Nick Barton, Chief Executive of Birmingham Airport, added his support: “Autonomous

technology promises enormous benefits to airports and the service companies that support

them, with the potential to transform the way we work and improve efficiency and safety for

passengers, staff and other airport users.

“We are really excited to be working with Solihull Council on this trial, which will provide us

with invaluable insight into how we can start to safely incorporate CAVs into our vehicle fleet.

This trial of fully electric vehicles, and testing their capabilities on site, is making sure we are

working towards our net zero carbon target by 2033.”

Aurrigo has been creating headlines in the aviation sector after using its Auto-Sim 

technology to help Changi Airport in Singapore with development work on a new terminal.

The company, which was founded by brothers David and Graham Keene nearly 30 years

ago, has also used its in-house software, technology and engineering expertise to develop

the Auto-Dolly, a new autonomous luggage and cargo system that has the potential to

deliver 60% carbon savings for airports.

It is anticipated that the digital twin modelling work could prove the business case for these

dollies to replace conventional diesel-powered luggage and cargo tractors and trailers by two

thirds.

Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, concluded: “CAV technology has the

potential to revolutionise the way we get around our towns, cities and rural areas as well as

transport goods. I’m excited that we are the first Council in the country to purchase our very

own zero-emission, road-legal, shared use Connected Autonomous Vehicle and we are

keen to put it to use.

“This project is all about looking at how we can practically and safely start to incorporate

autonomous vehicles into our future transport infrastructure. Already one of the bestconnected

destinations in the UK and Europe, Birmingham Airport is the perfect place to trial

our shuttle providing us with a busy but controlled environment in which to gain further realworld

operating experience.”

This project forms part of the wider West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funded UK

Central investment programme, which is delivering a wide range of projects, from walking

and cycling improvement schemes through to town centre redevelopments and build on the

establishment of the Midlands Future Mobility testbed.

For more information, please visit www.aurrigo.com or follow @aurrigotech on twitter

Transport minister praises Solihull for cutting-edge work on driverless vehicles

SOLIHULL’S cutting-edge work on driverless cars was showcased when Transport Minister Trudy Harrison visited the borough. Ms Harrison was joined by Leader of Solihull Council Councillor Ian Courts, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure Coun Ken Hawkins and bosses from ZF Hub an automotive company based in Blythe Valley Park to discuss the work being carried out with Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) and the future of the technology.