Self Driving Track Days, a start-up company, will conduct Europe’s first open testing event for autonomous vehicle development in UK later this year.

The company will conduct a series of events across Europe to help accelerate the development of self-driving car technology.

Driverless vehicle technology is a young discipline that pools expertise from different areas of mechanical, electrical and software engineering skills.

"Teams at commercial, academic or hobbyist level can explore autonomous vehicle technology in a safe, affordable and collaborative environment."

Self Driving Track Days co-founder Alex Lawrence-Berkeley said: “We’re keen to close the skills gaps between education and what industry is telling us is missing in the talent pool.

"These events will bring people together and help to develop their skills, and experience to be ready for the critical next step for their products.”

The track days are intended for innovators, inventors and researchers.

Lawrence-Berkeley added: "Teams at commercial, academic or hobbyist level can explore autonomous vehicle technology in a safe, affordable and collaborative environment, and have access to specialist training that only experienced industry professionals can deliver.

“The UK has a fine heritage in automotive engineering and motorsport, and we intend to complement those industries by working closely with venues, industry associations and trade bodies to ensure they can also benefit from this new activity in developing safety protocols and spread these new skills around those industries as well.

“Likewise we will be looking forward to working with the many established commercial and academic automotive engineering competitions which are developing driverless series in the future.”

These events are designed to motivate and encourage teams developing autonomous vehicle technologies and advanced driver assistance systems. Such events will be conducted every three months at safe and secure venues at various locations across Europe.