UK Self-Driving Startup Wayve Establishes Japan Testing and Development Centre
TOKYO (Reuters) – British self-driving technology startup Wayve has established a new testing and development centre in Japan, marking its first expansion into an Asian market.
The new centre will enable Wayve to accelerate the development of its AI-powered driving software in collaboration with automakers. It will also support testing and development of the technology in Tokyo and surrounding regions. According to Wayve, incorporating training data from Japan’s complex road environments will strengthen the generalization of its foundation model and enhance adaptability across global markets.
Wayve’s technology uses machine learning with camera sensors mounted on the outside of vehicles to learn from traffic patterns and driver behaviour, differing from conventional systems that rely on detailed digital maps and coding. The startup, backed by SoftBank Group, is also testing its technology in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
This development comes after Nissan, Japan’s third-biggest automaker, announced that its next-generation autonomous driving technology, set to launch in fiscal 2027, will feature software supplied by Wayve.
The establishment of the Japan centre represents a significant step in Wayve’s global expansion and its efforts to enhance its AI-powered driving software through diverse testing environments.
