CCAM & 2Zero SRGs met in Spain
The CCAM States Representatives Group (SRG) for the first time organised a joint meeting with the SRG of the 2Zero Partnership. Representatives of 17 EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries met from 13-14 September in Barcelona upon the kind invitation of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and alongside the FISITA World Congress.
The Spanish hosts prepared a packed agenda with on-site visits to the premises of the automotive supplier FICOSA and the EV charging station producer CIRCONTROL. The joint CCAM & 2Zero SRG meeting’s session started with the keynotes from the Secretary General for Innovation at the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Teresa Riesgo, and the Secretary General for Infrastructures at the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Xavier Flores. They both agreed that in R&D we need to be brave in Europe, taking risks, and that cooperation between different actors is crucial in research. Participants had a chance to learn more about the next generation programme for the Connected and Electric Vehicle in Spain, and to find out about the Software Defined Vehicle activities in KDT JU. Finally, the two SRG groups exchanged on shared issues such as the alignment of national and European research priorities. CAD Knowledge Base was identified as a good example of gathering projects’ lessons learned. Participants all agreed that regional, national, and European projects are equally important for developing skills and talents.
The dedicated CCAM SRG meeting focused on initiatives for harmonizing the CCAM testing procedures in European countries with the European Commission DG GROW, and projects: SUNRISE, Hi-Drive, and FAME contributing to the debate. Future Connectivity Systems was another topic brought up by the 5G for CAM Working Group and the European Commission DG CNECT. Finally, the CCAM SRG participants reflected on the ethical issues of CCAM and on ideas for monitoring the public acceptance and adoption of CCAM in Europe.
The next CCAM SRG meeting is planned by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 8 February 2024 in Brussels, following the Conference on Results from Road Transport Research (RTR) that will take place from 5-7 February.
