Self driving cars on the Isle of Man?!!
The Isle of Man could become the self-driving car capital of the world thanks to its unlikely status as a tech hub, and willingness of companies to make use of the land.
The small island, nestled in between Britain and Ireland, has a population of just 90,000 and a land mass no larger than Chicago, USA.
Yet in recent years, the nation has become somewhat of a haven for digital industries — cryptocurrencies flourish there, startups often set up on its sweeping hills, and it could soon become home to the world’s first 5G network.
The reason for a Celtic-tech crossover is the government’s openness to modernism — in a starkly traditional landscape — and a very lenient tax system that benefits business.
And, true to form, one of the tech world’s biggest ambitions, automated vehicles, could soon call the Isle of Man its home. That’s if infrastructure minister Phil Gawne has his way. He’s working 16-hour days to see his plans progress.
Gawne is hoping to bring self-driving car manufacturers — no prizes for guessing which — to the Isle of Man. And it appears they want to play ball. The island may have the oldest continuous parliament in the world, apparently dating back 1,000 years, but it also wants its roads run by robots.