NEWS

Darwin Innovation Group, a company specialising in ubiquitous connectivity and software development for autonomous vehicles, has established a strategic collaboration with global IT services company Cognizant. The relationship aims to broaden the reach of the autonomous vehicle market by introducing new vehicle management tools and reliable vehicle connectivity, making use of both 5G and satellite communications. Darwin is an established connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) ecosystem player in the UK and in Spain, with plans to expand to the Middle East and Canada this year. With the support of Cognizant and the European Space Agency, Darwin already operates the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle in Oxfordshire, the longest-running autonomous passenger service in the UK, which launched at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in November 2021. As part of the collaboration, Cognizant and Darwin are working on a monitoring, management and data collection platform for modern vehicles with electronic functions, including CAVs. The Darwin Autonomous Shuttle tracker web app, which gathers information using this platform, is already used to display the position of the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle in real time, using Cognizant’s technical skills and data analytics expertise, and provides information on the number of seats currently available. The jointly built platform is expected to allow companies to gather and analyse real-time data about the operation of the vehicles in their fleet to enhance vehicle efficiency. The data will be collected with an aim toward establishing new ecosystems for emerging vehicle categories, such as specialised insurance, maintenance and retail markets. Daniela Petrovic, co-founder of Darwin, said: “It is a real privilege to be recognised by global industry leader Cognizant and be trusted to deliver cutting-edge technology together. Darwin and Cognizant’s development teams showed excellent synergy in their approach to innovation, and in a very short period started to deliver products and services that are ready for commercial implementation. We hope that, with Cognizant’s global reach and reputation, we will be able to reach new markets and deliver CAV products and services to the wider public. By doing this we will support population inclusivity and transportation sustainability, goals that both Darwin and Cognizant are striving to achieve.” Manju Kygonahally, Head of Communications, Media and Technology for Global Growth Markets, Cognizant, said: “Cognizant continues to prioritise its focus on convergence by leveraging its capabilities and partnerships in communications, media and technology. Seamless connectivity is an important enabler for cross-industry convergence. Cognizant, with its technology and industry expertise, is collaborating with Darwin on several use cases across different markets, while also emphasising our commitment to sustainability and focus on reducing CO2 emissions.” Darwin is working to bring autonomous transport to Málaga and has collaborated with Telefónica Tech on CAV cybersecurity since 2021. Through its collaboration with Cognizant, Darwin intends to bolster its work in Spain and the UK and to reach new markets across the world. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

We were honoured to welcome Viljar Lubi, Ambassador of Estonia to the UK, to Darwin’s UK headquarters at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus on 8 February. Ambassador Lubi was interested in the work we're doing to bring Estonia-based Auve Tech's autonomous shuttle to UK roads. The day of Ambassador Lubi’s visit was cold but beautifully sunny. The ambassador had the opportunity to ride both the Darwin Autonomous Shuttle and Auve’s Iseauto autonomous shuttle, and paid a visit to the Darwin SatCom Lab to learn more about our work. Ambassador Lubi was also able to learn more about the progress being made at Harwell Campus in general, with an introduction to the campus at Harwell HQ. Harwell is an incredible hub for research and technological development in the UK, and Darwin is proud to be one of the many on-site organisations working to change the world. Thank you for receiving me this morning. I am absolutely certain that this collaboration will blow our minds in no time! People, fasten your seat belts and be ready! @AuveTech @darwininnovate @TaaviRoivas https://t.co/ww9tmsBwOY — Viljar Lubi (@ViljarLubi) February 8, 2023 Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

In 2022, LEAP became the largest debut tech event in history, with over 100,000 attendees. It’s a great opportunity to connect with innovators across different industries, and Darwin was pleased to attend the second LEAP conference this year. The 2023 LEAP tech conference was held between 6 and 9 February at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Front Expo Centre. Saudi Arabia is an important hub for innovation, with a growing interest in areas such as artificial intelligence and smart infrastructure. Darwin’s CEO Milos Petrovic and VP of Sales and Business Development Adnan Salkic went to the conference in order to forge connections and demonstrate Darwin’s work. Our strategic partner Auve Tech was at the conference as well, and we took the opportunity to demonstrate Darwin’s continuous connectivity solution together. We’re looking forward to launching Auve’s autonomous shuttle on UK roads. Milos and Adnan also had the pleasure of meeting Neil Crompton, the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. On the evening of 6 February, we attended an event held by the British Embassy Riyadh, where we presented Darwin’s work to the audience and to Lord Dominic Johnson, the UK’s Minister for Investment. Among others, we also presented Darwin's unique communications solution to Zain, NEOM, STC, Aramco and the Communications, Space and Information Technology Commission. In preparation for LEAP, we put together a poster showcasing our autonomous vehicle services and our Hybrid User Terminal (HUT), which allows vehicles to remain connected at all times by switching seamlessly between terrestrial and satellite networks. Take a look at the poster here. For innovation to thrive, people and organisations need to work together. At Darwin, we’re able to achieve great things with the support of our partners, and we’re proud to support them in return. When people from different fields gather together and pool their skills, new things become possible. Events like this one are crucial for making new connections and enabling us all to take a leap forward. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

The Darwin Autonomous Shuttle service began in late 2021, making it the longest-running autonomous passenger service in the UK. Throughout the service, the shuttle has been looked after by Darwin’s trained and dedicated safety operators. Darwin’s operators have now expanded their range of expertise by completing their training to operate Iseauto, a self-driving shuttle developed by Auve Tech. Auve is an Estonian developer of self-driving vehicles, and its shuttles have already been deployed in countries such as Finland and Greece. Its modern, compact autonomous shuttle will be operated alongside the existing Darwin Autonomous Shuttle at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. Like the current Darwin Autonomous Shuttle, the Auve shuttle at Harwell will be insured by Darwin’s partner Aviva. Currently, the UK’s automated vehicle trialling Code of Practice requires a trained safety operator to monitor the situation at all times during autonomous vehicle trials. By training its operators on different shuttles, Darwin is broadening the scope of what it can do with autonomous vehicles. Bringing the Auve shuttle to Harwell will help to establish multiple manufacturers of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in the UK. Broadening the variety of vehicles available is valuable, as different vehicles have different strengths. For example, Auve’s vehicles are particularly suited for environments with harsh weather conditions. By expanding its autonomous vehicle fleet, Darwin intends to introduce the public to a variety of self-driving vehicles, gather data, and understand the service needs of different CAVs. This will help Darwin to develop the CAV market in the UK and refine its platform of CAV services, including training operators, commissioning new CAV routes and maintaining autonomous vehicles. Darwin’s technology, developed in collaboration with Telefónica, ESA and Hispasat, makes it possible to track and monitor the shuttle in real time. The existing Darwin Autonomous Shuttle can be tracked from a public webpage created by Darwin and Cognizant, including some gathered statistics; as of January 2023, the shuttle has autonomously travelled over 5,000 miles and carried over 1,000 passengers. All of this is made possible by Harwell Campus supporting the on-site operation of autonomous vehicles, and Darwin is grateful to campus management for their vision and encouragement of innovation. The Auve shuttle training follows other activities between Darwin and Auve, including a visit from the Darwin team to Auve’s headquarters in Estonia. Darwin is looking forward to welcoming Auve to Harwell and plans to start transporting passengers with the new autonomous shuttle in the coming months. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Darwin was founded with the goal of combining terrestrial and satellite communications; you can read the story of our founding here. We’ve made huge strides in the intervening time, and we’re pleased to report a new landmark: we’ve been granted a patent for our vehicle communications technology. In a moving vehicle, it can be difficult to remain connected to terrestrial networks. If you’ve ever tried to use the internet while travelling through the countryside in a car or train, you’ll probably know this all too well. It’s common to move into areas that aren’t currently covered by terrestrial networks, or to experience brief interruptions in service as your device switches from one network to another. Darwin’s technology, patented under the name ‘Routing vehicle-to-everything communications’, enables vehicles to stay reliably connected on the move. Our technology monitors the quality of available terrestrial and satellite networks and, when the current network becomes unreliable or unavailable, it seamlessly routes the connection through the best available alternative. By using satellites to supplement terrestrial networks, we enable vehicles to remain connected almost anywhere. In addition, by switching seamlessly between networks, we avoid the interruptions in service that devices might otherwise experience when making network changes. The patent number is GB2588373, and you can view the details of the patent on the Intellectual Property Office’s website. The Certificate of Grant of Patent is also available here. If you’re a vehicle manufacturer or you operate a large fleet or transport service that could benefit from improved connectivity, get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss your needs. Darwin Innovation Group is a UK-based company that provides services related to autonomous vehicles and communications. If you’re interested in working with us, take a look at our careers page. If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation make use of autonomous vehicles, contact us. You can also follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.