David Keene, the founder of Aurrigo International, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to the ‘decarbonization of airports’, after over 40 years of experience working in the automotive sector and developing autonomous technology and intelligent mobility in aviation. Keene has been named in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025.
Autonomous luggage operations
The Warwickshire-based entrepreneur was recognized for the launch of Auto-DollyTug – an autonomous vehicle that is moving luggage and cargo around six airports across the world. Designed, developed and built at the firm’s Advanced Engineering Centre in Coventry, the electric powered tugs promise to “cut emissions, increase operational performance and, most importantly, improve passenger experience,” Aurrigo says.
“When you’ve been in business for four decades, nothing tends to surprise you…until this!” commented Professor David Keene MBE. “Aurrigo has come a long way since I started the business in my spare room in 1993. While automotive components (mainly wiring looms and electronics) are still a major part of the business, it is our ‘first to market’ work in autonomous aviation vehicles that is catching the media headlines.”
He continued, “It is such a massive honor to be recognized by HRH King Charles, but the MBE is really for all the team that have played such a key role in our growth and success to date. They’ve believed in the dream, and it is their skills, expertise and technical knowledge that has transported us to the front of the autonomous conversation.”
Keene’s contributions to the industry
According to the company, Keene coined the intelligent ground support equipment (iGSE) phrase and is a passionate ambassador for UK manufacturing and in encouraging more young people into engineering. He has done this by giving students/researchers from Aston, Warwick and Coventry universities the opportunity to explore new R&D and embed lessons from working with his company’s advanced vehicles and technology into their learning.
He has also committed over 100 hours of voluntary service to the UK Automotive Council, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, local universities and Galgotias University in India, where he lectures international students on automated vehicles and technology.
Keene added, “We are building something really exciting in the UK that positions us as a real driving force in the world of autonomous vehicles for aviation. As we grow through Auto-DollyTug, Auto-Sim (simulation software for replicating airport activity) and Auto-Cargo (our largest vehicle yet), we are going to need more people with the right skills and talent to take us to the next level. That’s why it is important that we are vocal about the careers available in manufacturing and technology, showcasing the global opportunities they deliver.”
In related news, Aurrigo International recently introduced new software to help airports overcome the challenge of operating autonomous vehicles in intense wet weather and snow. The new rainfall algorithm helps to identify the difference between drops of rain and objects while operating in up to 50mm of precipitation per hour. Read the full story here