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.