A new white paper discussing the future of mobility suggests automotive companies developing connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) must adopt new sharing practices rather than the conventional notion that regulation stifles innovation.

Gowling WLG urges automotive manufacturers and suppliers to be more open to sharing for the furtherance of CAVs

The white paper, titled ’Owning the Road: The Impact of IP on the Future of Mobility’ produced by international law firm Gowling WLG, highlights the threat from the technology sector and new market entrants, as well as the need to appeal to Millennials, and recommends that the automotive industry moves away from traditional processes to design mobility ‘systems’, rather than personal vehicles.

Experts from sector-leaders internationally featured within the white paper also call for increased information sharing as part of an industry-wide collaboration, taking the form of formal partnerships and joint ventures.

Stuart Young, head of automotive at Gowling WLG, said: “To accelerate the pace of change, automotive and tech companies must become more prominent in discussions regarding the development of new technology standards and automotive applications”.

“Without a concerted effort by traditional automotive manufacturers and suppliers to adopt innovation, there is a potential danger that the autonomous vehicle market could be stifled by a power-struggle.”

“Cooperation is essential in order for CAVs to be effective and to achieve their long-term benefits. Competitor firms need to be increasingly open to information sharing to ensure mechanical systems and connectivity solutions can interact safely and effectively. Companies must also have greater involvement in developing standards and sharing solutions to help minimise the risk of being involved in patent litigation.”

This white paper is the fifth in a series that Gowling WLG is producing in conjunction with UK Autodrive. UK Autodrive is the largest of three UK consortia launched to support the introduction of self-driving vehicles into the UK.

The series will covers many of the most interesting elements of autonomous and connected vehicles, including data protection, moral algorithms (ethical software coding), cyber security and social policies.