On 10-11 July in Athens, Greece, ERTICO joined the CHORUS consortium for the project’s kick-off meeting. CHORUS aims to address the complexities associated with road safety and efficiency by developing a unified multi-actor orchestration framework within the Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) ecosystem.
The project, co-funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), is coordinated by the ERTICO Partner ICCS (Institute of Communication and Computer Systems) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and brings together 36 different organisations including ERTICO Partners Aimsun, CERTH, Oxfordshire Country Council, Swarco, Trikala, TTS Italia , VEDECOM and VICOMTECH.
ERTICO will provide its expertise to the consortium regarding communication and dissemination of outputs, stakeholder mapping and engagement, training, as well as standardization, regulation, and policy recommendations. Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris, Head of Transport for Logistics at ERTICO commented:
We are delighted to be part of this ambitious and innovative project, joining efforts with an already excellent Consortium, to raise the project’s visibility and see it through to a successful completion
CHORUS will address the opportunities and challenges posed by growing urbanization and traffic management, facilitating the achievement of a Social Optimum and maximized social welfare through better coordination among CCAM actors. In other words, CHORUS will leverage CCAM technologies and innovations to deliver the greatest benefits for all.
CHORUS aims to:
- Combine various transportation methods to improve the effectiveness, safety, and inclusivity of city travel. These include AVs and conventional vehicles, including public transportation, cycling, and ridesharing services.
- Support smart, AI-based traffic and mobility systems by facilitating secure and active data sharing, supporting real-time decision-making for traffic management and AV operation, and reducing traffic inefficiencies.
- Improve travel convenience through live updates and tailored journey suggestions, empowering users to make informed transportation choices.
- Encourage technological progress by strengthening partnerships between public institutions and private companies.
- Help urban areas cut down on congestion-related expenses and boost transport efficiency, contributing to Europe's environmental and climate objectives.
CHORUS will validate its architecture and innovations through seven demonstration sites, each dedicated to different aspects of the project:
- Paris-Saclay, a growing innovation hub south of Paris, France, faces complex mobility demands from its diverse population and landscape. CHORUS will test smart transport solutions there, including electric car-sharing and autonomous shuttles in both fixed-route and on-demand modes, all integrated with real-time traffic and infrastructure data.
- Oxfordshire, a fast-growing region in the UK, faces rising car use, poor transport connectivity, rural area issues, and pressure from housing growth. CHORUS will address these challenges through three use cases: deploying an autonomous, wheelchair-accessible minibus for on-demand transport; optimising last-mile logistics with e-cargo bikes and autonomous delivery bots; and integrating passenger and freight services into a fully connected, multimodal traffic management system.
- Trikala, a medium-sized Greek city aiming to modernise its urban mobility, is tackling congestion and sustainability challenges through CHORUS. The project will pilot autonomous delivery robots integrated with city logistics and will explore advanced collective perception systems to enhance autonomous vehicle navigation and improve safety for vulnerable road users.
- Bern, a major Swiss city facing congestion and sustainability challenges, will improve urban logistics through autonomous middle-mile goods delivery. Using AVs and real-world traffic and weather data, CHORUS aims to boost delivery capacity, reduce road traffic, and assess the safety and environmental benefits of integrating AVs into rail-connected logistics networks.
- Geneva (Switzerland) faces unique mobility challenges including congestion, environmental concerns, and the need for efficient and sustainable public transport solutions. CHORUS aims to enhance seamless passenger travel with multi-modal transport integration, leverage shared fleet resources for dynamic goods and passenger transport, and collect and analyse transport data to create a heatmap/simulation of the network, facilitating predictive transport optimization.
- Zürich (Switzerland) is serviced by an extensive transport network serving over 1.4 million residents. CHORUS will investigate the last-mile delivery dynamic Pick-Up Drop-Off (PUDO) boxes, focusing on effective use of space through multi-use systems, automatic reservations, and data sharing, with optimal location prediction using mobility, weather, and event data.
- Helsinki (Finland) is a crucial hub for both national and international transportation, facing significant mobility challenges. CHORUS will focus on off-street delivery robots operating in congested areas and addressing VRU navigation needs by introducing new safety features for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs).
For further information about CHORUS, follow the project on social media here.
Facts and figures about CHORUS
- Duration: 42 months
- Starting Date: 1 July 2025
- End Date: 31 December 2028
- Partners: 36
- Coordinator: ICCS
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.