WMG, University of Warwick’s Professor Siddartha Khastgir added to CCAV expert advisory panel
Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG, an applied research and education department at the UK’s University of Warwick, has been appointed as a Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) advisory panel member.
The CCAV is a joint Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Department for Transport (DfT) unit.
Established in 2015, it is working with industry and academia with the aim of making everyday journeys greener, safer, more flexible and more reliable by shaping the safe and secure emergence of connected and self-driving vehicles in the UK and by leading the government’s Future of Transport strategy.
Professor Siddartha Khastgir joins 11 other experts in advising on the roll-out of the Automated Vehicles Act. He says: “I am very honoured to join the CCAV EAP and contribute my expertise by providing scientific evidence for the upcoming policy decisions enabling the safe and responsible development and deployment of self-driving technology in the UK.”
Uber and Wayve
Uber recently announced that self-driving taxis will appear on roads in London next year, after the UK government confirmed that trials of fully autonomous vehicles would be brought forward to spring 2026.
For the first time in Europe, companies will be allowed to run pilots for services without any human safety driver onboard or in the driving seat. Uber will work with the UK tech firm Wayve to launch trials of taxis bookable via its app in the capital, its largest European market.
Alex Kendall, CEO and Co-founder at Wayve, comments: “This is a defining moment for UK autonomy. With Uber and a global OEM partner, we’re preparing to put our AI Driver technology into real service on the streets of London, delivering on our AV2.0 vision for scalable autonomy. Our Embodied AI learns to drive anywhere, in any vehicle, and this trial brings us closer to bringing safe and intelligent driving to everyday rides across the UK and beyond.”
Andrew Macdonald, President and Chief Operating Officer at Uber, says: “We’re excited to take the next step in our journey with Wayve, bringing autonomous mobility to one of the world’s busiest and most complex urban environments. Wayve’s globally scalable AV2.0 approach makes them an ideal partner to bring Uber’s autonomous vision to reality in new cities around the world. Our vision is to make autonomy a safe and reliable option for riders everywhere, and this trial in London brings that future closer to reality.”
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, says: “This agreement, between two leading names at the forefront of the sector, is a fantastic vote of confidence in this new technology. By fast tracking pilots of self-driving vehicles to spring 2026, we are excited to see safety first tests that will drive growth, create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to our economy.”
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
Our sister title, RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries.
As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.
With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.
Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.
Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.
This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.
Please email our Editor, Scott Thompson, if you have any questions or need further information: scott.thompson@retailtechinnovationhub.com
Key 2025 dates
Friday, 18th July: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 22nd July: 2025 finalists revealed
Wednesday, 23rd July - Friday, 8th August: Judging days
Wednesday, 3rd September: Winners announced at the 2025 RTIH AI in Retail Awards Ceremony, to be held at The Barbican in Central London.
