In this blog featured by the European-funded project ARCADE, ERTICO CEO Jacob Bangsgaard talks about ERTICO’s CAD activities and projects and reflects on the importance of cross-sector cooperation to advance autonomous driving. 

Intelligent transport solutions (ITS) are revolutionising the way we live our lives, particularly in the way we move and travel. For example, driverless vehicles will bring us a range of benefits that will make our lives easier, more efficient and safer. Travellers will be able to use the time they currently spend on driving and get on with anything else they want to do such as reading, watching movies, playing games, working or even sleeping. Automation will eventually reduce the risks of accidents by avoiding human errors, while enabling those with limited mobility or disabilities to continue to drive themselves around.

Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) has real potential in addressing the many challenges in the transport sector and improving the efficiency, safety, affordability and accessibility of mobility. Full benefits of CCAM can only be achieved within an integrated environment where automated vehicles, road users and digital infrastructure connect and cooperate with each other. Work is and has been ongoing to understand how Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) will fit into existing transport networks, and how human-driven vehicles will interact with them.  CAVs on closed networks, such as at airports and in business parks or shopping centres, are already becoming commonplace, while fully driverless vehicles are undertaking longer and longer test routes. An example is the autonomous shuttle trial at Brussels airport by De Lijn in partnership with Brussels Airport Company. Several similar trials have been organised and are being carried out by public authorities, public transport operators or municipalities.

Currently, we can count on numerous examples and projects that focus on CAV and driverless vehicles thanks to a knowledge base with 200 research and innovation projects, pilot activities and test track initiatives across Europe.

ERTICO takes part in many of these projects, one of them being CONCORDA, where different mobility stakeholders assess the performance of hybrid connectivity and interoperability in Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands.

On a broader scale, the project SHOW (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption) expands its action radius with real world tests in Rouen and Rennes in France, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Aachen in Germany, Graz, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria, Kista and Linköping in Sweden, Madrid in Spain, Brainport in the Netherlands, Brno in the Czech Republic, Copenhagen/Ballurup in Denmark, Tampere in Finland, Trikala in Greece and Turin in Italy.

CCAM also plays a key role in ERTICO’s strategy as ERTICO is either leading, or involved in a range of activities to develop and pilot driverless vehicle technologies including agreeing a common approach to testing and validation. The sheer complexity of the task ahead, turning ideas into safe interoperable systems, is immense and cooperation is key to eventual success. Innovation can only come by learning from each other, collecting knowledge, experiences and fostering a common understanding. The ARCADE project and the Knowledge Base that lies at the heart of ARCADE is a vital link in this chain of development and an essential tool to continue further development work on connected and automated driving (CAD) and ensure its harmonised deployment across Europe.

Developed as part of the Horizon 2020 funded project ARCADE (Aligning Research & Innovation for Connected Automated Driving in Europe), the Knowledge Base gathers scattered information amongst a broad network of CAD stakeholders. This is done to establish a common baseline of CAD knowledge and provide a platform for a broad exchange of information. By combining all sources of knowledge, stakeholders are enabled to get a clearer picture of the future impact of road automation.

The ARCADE project supports the Knowledge Base by facilitating collaboration between major CAD stakeholders from the automotive, infrastructure, ICT and service provision sectors. It promotes the exchange of knowledge from past and ongoing activities at national, European and international level and builds consensus on CAD deployment scenarios and research needs. Since the Knowledge Base is ever-evolving and growing with the existing body of knowledge in the field, feedback from CAD stakeholders is invaluable and highly encouraged.

The CAD Knowledge Base is an essential tool for ERTICO to continue its work in outlining priorities for the sector. In partnership with other automotive and ITS technology stakeholders and EU policymakers, ERTICO plays an important role in supporting CCAM related research and pilot activities in Europe and encouraging the appropriate regulatory framework. ERTICO and ARCADE are providing innovation to assist in making tomorrow’s mobility, better today.

Jacob Bangsgaard, CEO ERTICO – ITS Europe