Texas A&M University has announced its plans to invest $150m to build a research and development campus that will focus on autonomous vehicles, robotics and other projects in transportation.

This campus will help firms push their ideas from laboratory to marketplace, reported Traffictechnologytoday.com.

The new campus will be located at the Bryan Air Base, which the university purchased in 1960s.

"Research conducted by TTI at this innovative campus will allow for implementation of transportation technology advancements faster and more efficiently."

Last September, the 2,000ac area was transferred to Texas A&M University System and will now be named RELLIS Campus.

Initially, the new campus will include seven buildings and testbeds.

The focus of this centre will be on connected vehicles and robotics, in addition to smart power grids and water systems.

Out of the $150m investment, $25m will be allocated to demolish old buildings, rebuild roads and upgrade facilities.

Construction on the first building is likely to begin in September 2016.

The new campus will include The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).

Texas A&M vice chancellor and dean of engineering and TEES director Dr. M Katherine Banks said: "We are enthusiastic about creating a campus dedicated to moving research discoveries into the marketplace.

"Research conducted by TTI at this innovative campus will allow for implementation of transportation technology advancements faster and more efficiently.

"We believe we can offer the transportation industry and other public and private sector partners unique opportunities that no other university has to offer."