A new report by consulting firm WSP calls on UK ports to deploy connected and automated mobility (CAM) solutions to help build more competitive and resilient supply chains.
The report, Barriers and Opportunities for Automation in UK Ports, was commissioned by CAM ecosystem champion Zenzic and produced by WSP.
It follows PD Teesport’s September 2026 announcement of a US$5.1m deal with Westwell for autonomous vehicles to carry out horizontal container transport at Teesport Container Terminal 2 in northeast England, including electric autonomous terminal tractors and an automation system integrated into existing operations.
Other UK port deployments cited include autonomous container handling vehicles at Port of Tyne in northeastern England and Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk, a Digital Trade Testbed at Teesside Freeport in northeast England, and a self-driving shuttle at Belfast Harbour in Northern Ireland.
The report found that, despite the success of early pilot projects and studies, the UK maritime industry has yet to match the scale of automation in parts of Asia and Northern Europe in moving from trials to full-scale, commercially viable deployments.
It says the UK can draw on strengths in R&D, software, AI, robotics, data analytics and cross-sector collaboration. Priorities include integrated terminal operating systems, AI-driven port applications, expanded pilot demonstration programs and wider use of UK expertise in adjacent technology sectors.
A key finding is that the UK has an opportunity to lead in mixed-mode automation, where autonomous and manually operated systems work safely alongside one another in complex existing port environments.
Sam Boyd Williams, director at WSP, said, “The UK already has many of the ingredients needed to become a leader in port automation, including world-class expertise in engineering, software, AI and connected mobility technologies. What is needed now is a concerted effort from industry, government and technology providers to move beyond successful pilots and demonstrations toward long-term deployment at scale.
“The opportunity for the UK is not to replicate every aspect of larger international ports,” he continued, “but to build on its strengths in retrofitting and modernizing complex, brownfield environments. Doing so can help strengthen productivity, supply-chain resilience and competitiveness while supporting wider decarbonization ambitions.”
Mark Cracknell, program director at Zenzic, said, “Over recent years, programs such as CAM Pathfinder have made great inroads when it comes to helping UK ports conduct CAM studies and trials. However, if we are to continue building on this momentum, then the industry must start turning these early successes into permanent, full-scale deployments.”
Zenzic was set up by the UK government and industry to grow the UK’s CAM ecosystem. It is a founding member of the UK’s Port Automation Group with organizations including Thames Freeport, Amazon, WSP, Oxa and the UK Major Ports Group.
Related: What the London Assembly’s autonomous vehicle report means for the UK’s CAM ecosystem, by Zenzic’s Francis McKinney
