Wayve Signs Partnership with UK Government to Accelerate Britain’s Self‑Driving Future

London, May 12, 2026  – Wayve has signed a partnership to put the UK at the forefront of next-generation self-driving technology with the UK Government today.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Business & Trade will deepen collaboration on next‑generation self‑driving technologies as Wayve prepares to launch passenger service trials in the UK and works with global OEMs on the development of self-driving technologies.

The agreement brings government and industry together around shared research interests, supporting responsible deployment of self-driving vehicles while reinforcing the UK’s global leadership in autonomous and AI‑enabled mobility.

By linking cutting‑edge AI research with real‑world deployment and manufacturing, the partnership aims to act as a catalyst for new investment, skilled jobs and long‑term growth across the UK automotive ecosystem.

UK Business Secretary of State Peter Kyle said:

“This partnership with Wayve shows how government is backing high‑growth British scale‑ups through our Modern Industrial Strategy to turn world‑leading research into real‑world deployment. By working hand‑in‑hand with innovative companies, we are accelerating self‑driving technology while anchoring jobs, investment and manufacturing here in the UK – making Britain the best place to start, scale and grow a business.”

UK Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

“Wayve is a true British AI success story, putting the UK at the forefront of self-driving technology. This agreement will help secure high-skilled tech and advanced manufacturing jobs in this country. By working with companies such as Wayve we are rebuilding Britain for the modern age and sending a clear signal that the UK is the best place for ambitious tech firms to start up and scale up.”

Alex Kendall, Co-Founder and CEO, Wayve said: 

“I’m delighted to deepen our collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade. We share the Government’s ambition to drive economic growth through the development of the self-driving vehicle sector in the UK and globally. Strengthening domestic capabilities will anchor high-value manufacturing in the UK, create thousands of skilled jobs across the supply chain, and support the future of the automotive industry. This is in addition to the transformative benefits to road safety to be gained from self-driving vehicles deployed at scale. Wayve has a proud history of developing our technology in the UK. We look forward to working with DBT on a shared set of priorities to ensure the UK continues to lead and that the full set of benefits is realised across the country.”

Strengthening the UK’s self-driving ecosystem

The MoU sets out how DBT and Wayve will collaborate on research to help move self-driving vehicles from prototype to large‑scale, commercially viable services operating on UK roads. This includes work on safety assurance, simulation at scale and integration of full self‑driving technology into production‑ready vehicle platforms, helping the UK lead internationally on responsible deployment.

The partnership also reinforces the UK’s ambition to be a global hub for self-driving vehicle manufacturing, strengthening domestic supply chains in areas such as AI, systems integration and advanced automotive hardware. Wayve will share insights from real‑world trials with government and regulators, supporting learning that can unlock national roll-out of self-driving services and inform future regulations and standards. Through closer collaboration with industry and local partners, the agreement supports the revival and evolution of UK automotive manufacturing while demonstrating the government’s commitment to helping fast‑growing British companies scale at home rather than overseas.