ERTICO – ITS Europe and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) jointly organised a high-level webinar bringing together European and international perspectives on connected, cooperative and automated mobility (CCAM), data sharing, artificial intelligence, and next-generation traffic management. The event highlighted how policy, technology and collaboration can jointly accelerate the deployment of safe, sustainable, and efficient mobility solutions.
European perspectives on CCAM deployment
Dr Stéphane Dreher provided an overview of the European policy and research landscape for connected and automated mobility. He highlighted the need for greater regulatory harmonisation across EU Member States, noting that fragmented rules remain a key barrier to large-scale deployment. The presentation showcased ongoing European initiatives supporting CCAM deployment, including large-scale cross-border testbeds, regulatory sandboxes, and the work of the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA). Particular attention was given to the role of coordination, shared learning, and common regulatory approaches in supporting safe and scalable deployment, as well as to upcoming large-scale demonstrations planned from 2026 onwards under Horizon Europe programmes.
Dubai’s vision for self-driving transport
RTA team led by Mr. Khaled Al Awadi, Director of Transportation Systems, presented Dubai’s ambitious and long-term Self-Driving Transport Strategy, first launched in 2017. The strategy aims to position Dubai as a global leader in safe, sustainable, and reliable self-driving transport, with the objective that 25% of all journeys will be autonomous by 2030.The webinar highlighted the breadth of Dubai’s approach, spanning autonomous shuttles, taxis, buses, logistics solutions, and urban air mobility. Participants were given insight into ongoing pilot projects, enabling frameworks and governance structures that support deployment, trust, and public acceptance. The roadmap includes both deployment projects and enabling initiatives, reflecting a holistic approach that combines regulation, infrastructure, skills, and innovation.
Data sharing and AI as key enablers of smart mobility
In his presentation, Joost Vantomme, focused on the role of data sharing and artificial intelligence in enabling smart and sustainable mobility. He emphasised that data strategies increasingly cut across sectors and policy domains, with mobility acting as a key testbed for trusted and value-driven data use. Examples such as Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) illustrated how sharing data can improve road safety, efficiency and traffic management when supported by cooperation between road authorities and digital tools such as digital twins. The European policy context, including the ITS Directive, the European Data Act and the AI Act, was highlighted as an evidence-based framework supporting innovation while ensuring trust, transparency, and accountability. The potential for collaboration between ERTICO and RTA on skills development, including through the ERTICO Academy, was also underlined.
Towards next-generation traffic management
Dr Roozbeh Mohammadi presented the case for next-generation of traffic management, moving beyond a vehicle-centric approach towards integrated, multimodal, and AI-enabled systems. He highlighted emerging challenges faced by cities, including congestion, safety, resilience and accessibility, and the need for coordinated management across road, public transport, micromobility and new transport modes. The presentation showcased ERTICO led projects and platforms, drawing on concrete examples from FEDORA and metaCCAZE and TM2.0 Platform, to demonstrate how machine learning, diverse data sources and digital twins can support adaptive and equitable traffic management, helping cities respond more effectively to evolving mobility demands.
Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO-ITS Europe summarised:
Automated mobility, data sharing, and AI are no longer abstract concepts, they are rapidly becoming essential components of modern transport systems, and working with pioneering partners such as RTA allows us to turn these innovations into real, scalable solutions that improve safety, efficiency, and the overall mobility experience. This exchange demonstrates the power of international cooperation: by combining European expertise with Dubai’s forward-thinking approach, we can jointly advance a shared vision of connected, automated, and inclusive mobility for the future.