Driving Innovation Responsibly: Commercialising CAV Services in the Scottish Highlands and Islands

This feasibility study will address the unique nature of the H&I region's health transportation problem by assessing a new CAV service for the NTC in the Inverness Campus. The region, whilst famous worldwide for its rugged and awe-inspiring landscapes, presents significant challenges to people who live there, especially in some of the more vulnerable groups---the elderly, people with severe health conditions and communities disadvantaged and isolated due to transport costs and challenges.

The CAV service holds great promise for increasing access through on-demand low-cost transport. This could alleviate some health transportation challenges caused by the sparse population and challenging terrain of the H&I and contribute towards net zero by reducing reliance on carbon-emitting public transport and private cars. Our study will assess the feasibility of a demand-responsive, autonomous transport service in Scotland's Highlands and Islands that effectively matches the demand for health transportation, reduces CO2 emissions, maximises public and commercial value, and reduces passenger travel time.

Commercially, there is a need to develop new mass transit services that are viable and culturally aligned with regional practices and priorities, capitalising on the region's world-leading edge in renewable energy and contribution towards NetZero. The project aims to produce a business model for a CAV service that is feasible in technological and financial terms, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable, using Adam Smith's Responsible Innovation Framework, developed by the University of Glasgow (https://technologyscotland.scot/new-toolkit-topic-15-added-to-product-design-scotland-toolkit/).

The H&I is sparsely populated but has high social, economic, and community interconnection degrees. Involving community members throughout the project can have a significant impact; for example, through activities such as storytelling gatherings, the community can identify challenges, aspirations, and opportunities and contribute meaningfully to creating strategies and policies to address them. Likewise, the region has a history of innovation---in food and drink, renewable energy, and education.---Our Responsible Innovation approach extends this practice with the consideration of social, economic, and environmental considerations assessing the benefits of CAV technologies, ensuring that any suggested service is responsible, sustainable, and acceptable to the public. As such, the project casts new light on how community-engaged and community-driven innovation and citizen participation in transportation solutions can increase the likelihood of success. The project will also investigate public perceptions of CAVs by piloting a service over a short period to understand how the public reacts to the service.