EUCAR calls for a co-programmed partnership for Connected and Automated Mobility in Horizon Europe
Brussels, 14 February 2020 – The European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR), representing the major European automobile manufacturers in their common research activities, welcomes the progress made towards an agreement on the next EU framework programme for research called Horizon Europe. To address the key challenges of Connected Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM[1]) and self-driving vehicles, EUCAR calls for a co-programmed partnership across industry sectors and value chains.
Digitalisation and automation are both innovation drivers for the automotive industry and decisive factors for the future mobility of citizens in Europe. EUCAR is committed to delivering safer, cleaner, smarter and more efficient transport solutions by further emphasising collaborative research in Connected Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM):
- CCAM technologies support the European Commission’s Vision Zero targets set for 2050 by decreasing the number of road fatalities and accidents.
- CCAM contributes to reducing transport emissions and congestion, while ensuring inclusive mobility for people and goods.
- CCAM will provide individual mobility to all Europeans; in particular the elderly and people with disabilities.
- CCAM will have a remarkable economic impact, ensuring long-term European growth and jobs.
EUCAR’s ambition for R&I in CCAM is to accelerate the implementation of connected and automated vehicles significantly; advance the technological competitiveness of the EU automotive industry; and maintain its position as a significant employer in Europe.
EUCAR advocates a co-programmed partnership for CCAM to leverage public funding with private investments across the value chain. This will enable quick and timely research actions boosting innovation. Especially for the digitalisation of road transport, with shorter innovation cycles and increasingly fast-acting competition from other sectors, we need to accelerate both research and the time-to-market.
[1] CCAM, as described by the EC: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/3rd-mobility-pack/3rd-mobility-pack-factsheets-automatedconnected.pdf