By ATN
Summary: HORIBA MIRA and TIER IV have launched a joint initiative to accelerate autonomous driving development and deployment across the UK and Europe. HORIBA MIRA will provide engineering expertise and access to its proving ground and facilities, while TIER IV supplies its autonomous driving stack, including the Level-4-capable Minibus 2.0, sensors, and operational support. The first project will deploy an autonomous bus at the MIRA Tech Park, demonstrating Level 4 capabilities and enabling localisation, validation, and promotion of autonomous systems for regional use. The collaboration combines TIER IV’s deployment experience in Japan with HORIBA MIRA’s test, validation, and regulatory expertise, helping advance safe and scalable autonomous mobility in Europe.
Key engineering takeaway: The partnership integrates TIER IV’s Level 4 autonomous driving system with HORIBA MIRA’s validation, testing, and regulatory engineering capabilities, enabling rigorous localisation and deployment of autonomous vehicles within European environments.
Why it matters: Scaling autonomous mobility in Europe requires proven Level 4 platforms combined with region-specific safety validation and regulatory compliance; this collaboration accelerates real-world deployment, supports industry adoption, and drives progress toward safer, more sustainable transport ecosystems.
HORIBA MIRA, a core member of the HORIBA Group responsible for automotive engineering and testing business (Headquarters: Nuneaton, UK; Managing Executive: Roisin Hopkins, hereinafter “HORIBA MIRA”), and TIER IV, the pioneering force behind open-source software for autonomous driving (Headquarters: Shinagawa, Tokyo; CEO: Shinpei Kato, hereinafter “TIER IV”), have initiated a collaborative project to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous driving technologies in the United Kingdom and Europe. Through this collaboration, HORIBA MIRA will provide access to its facilities and engineering expertise, while TIER IV will focus on expanding its autonomous driving technologies and vehicle deployments throughout these regions.
Collaboration Overview
HORIBA MIRA and TIER IV share a common vision to make autonomous driving technology accessible to all, contributing to a safer, smarter, and more sustainable society.
The collaboration’s first initiative will be the deployment of an autonomous bus project on HORIBA MIRA’s proving ground, aiming to explore and demonstrate Level 4 autonomous operation within the coming years at the company’s state-of-the-art MIRA Tech Park — one of Europe’s largest and most advanced hubs for mobility research and development.
As a global leader in automotive engineering and testing, HORIBA MIRA will contribute its world-class facilities and engineering expertise to ensure safety validation and compliance with local regulatory and operational requirements, thereby facilitating the successful localisation and implementation of autonomous buses. TIER IV will deliver a comprehensive suite of software and hardware solutions, including its autonomous driving system, the Level 4-compliant electric minibus “Minibus 2.0,” advanced sensor packages, and tailored operational support.
This initiative leverages TIER IV’s extensive experience in deploying Level 4 autonomous vehicles across Japan, where its autonomous driving systems have been utilised in diverse applications such as off-road dumper trucks and factory logistics vehicles. Through customer demonstrations and promotional activities at MIRA Tech Park, TIER IV will share its cutting-edge technologies and operational know-how with local governments, transport operators, and vehicle manufacturers throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
“At HORIBA MIRA, we’ve made significant investments in autonomous vehicle technologies over the past several years to help enable safe and scalable deployment across Europe,” said Alastair Evanson, Head of Business Development and Commercial Operations. “Collaborating with TIER IV on this project is a natural extension of our commitment to supporting innovation in the sector, and we’re pleased to provide the engineering and testing expertise needed to help localise their technology for European environments.”
“We are delighted to join forces with HORIBA MIRA to accelerate the deployment of autonomous driving technologies across the UK and Europe,” said TIER IV COO Ko Miyoshi. “By combining our advanced platforms with HORIBA MIRA’s world-leading engineering and validation expertise, we aim to accelerate the realisation of safe, reliable, and sustainable mobility solutions tailored to local needs. This collaboration marks an important step toward our shared vision of making autonomous driving accessible to all.”
HORIBA will continue to drive new growth in the mobility sector and actively support the advancement and social implementation of autonomous driving technologies through this collaboration.
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