About Connected, Cooperative & Automated Mobility (CCAM)

Highly automated vehicles are already operating on European roads and they are evolving fast. Every new generation of vehicles increases by an order of magnitude of computing power and the number of sensor data. Many of them are collecting a large amount of real-life data that can be used to train deeper their machine learning algorithms. Building an infrastructure that will allow the generation and handling of this data is a challenging but strategic step.

ERTICO is paving the path for the convergence of C-ITS, cellular connectivity and automated vehicles along with the evolution of the road infrastructure. This area of work puts into perspective the activities of several ERTICO Innovation Platforms, namely the European Truck Platooning (ETPC), ADASIS, SENSORIS, TISA, TN-ITS and TM2.0 and has fed into European policy activities such as the C-ITS platform, the Roundtable on Connected and Automated Driving, STRIA and relevant European Commission consultation workshops and debates.

The ERTICO Partnership is the ideal ecosystem to make a real contribution to the research, development and deployment of connected and automated driving. This is especially relevant when considering that full benefits will only be unlocked by following a multidisciplinary approach involving all relevant transport stakeholder sectors. This can be achieved by combining the vehicle, road authorities, municipalities, telecommunication and infrastructure industries, with a good balance between roles and responsibilities of the public and private bodies.

CCAM continues to benefit from the expanding deployment of 5G and the emergence of 6G. Technologies and services will converge towards a hybrid approach in which short-range and long-range communications offer further developments for CCAM and higher levels of automation. Such automation will enable the realisation of CCAM services for shared multimodal transportation of people and goods. Data privacy and security are important enablers to support the transition from individual legacy vehicles toward CCAM services. These will consolidate into multiple trusted and interoperable data platforms, offering services to individuals, logistics service providers and public authorities. To facilitate deployment, an EU-wide regulatory regime will establish interoperability for integration in, for example, the broader traffic system and cross-border operations.

Our CCAM Roadmap for 2035

ERTICO’s Roadmap for 2035 on Connected Cooperative & Automated Mobility is marked by essential milestones. Through the Innovation Platforms and projects run under this focus area, ERTICO is working to support the achievement of these milestones and the vision of connected automated mobility for people and goods.

Current objectives in the area of CCAM

Foster interoperable, reliable and compliant connectivity for automation
This is done by supporting C-ITS standardisation and interoperability testing to ensure that devices comply with standards and are interoperable. Testing the concept of hybrid communications on public roads for CCAM purposes is equally important, as is addressing issues of performance, quality and freshness related to essential CCAM services e.g. GNSS, C-ITS, HD maps. ERTICO is investigating the applicability of IOT connectivity for connected and automated driving and increases the emphasis on interoperability of services at application level.

Assess impact of automated vehicle functions through large-scale pilots
ERTICO promotes common guidelines on pilot methodologies, data sharing and architecture implementation and encourages the creation of local CCAM test beds or pre-deployment areas. We participate and support learning “by doing” in large-scale pilot activities on passenger cars, truck platoons and public transport, as well as conducting real road testing of essential CCAM features such as connectivity.

Contribute to the developments of Big Data in transport to serve automation
ERTICO works to promote the “Digitalisation of transport” and “Big Data for transport” as enablers and drivers for the deployment of CCAM technologies. We support the concept of data sharing while recognising the value and importance of commercial interests. We address in our work the emergence of horizontal technological trends in Internet of Things (IoT) and high-speed connectivity.

The future of mobility is connected, cooperative and automated
By creating a pathway to CCAM, ERTICO leads numerous R&I projects, platforms, demonstrations and other activities, coordinating multiple stakeholders to focus on common challenges, develop a shared vision, and enable a harmonised approach. In line with industry trends and recent developments, the name of the focus area ‘Connected and Automated Driving’ (CAD) was revised and changed to CCAM to better align with the general terminology used by policymakers and institutions such as the European Commission, but also the language increasingly used by ERTICO members and Partners. This change underlines an important development within this theme: CCAM is about far more than just driving, and mobility can be seen in the broadest terms. It is not only connected and automated but also cooperative in nature, involving many different ITS actors, systems and sets of technologies. Stakeholder cooperation is therefore essential for the integration of vehicles, infrastructures and mobility services such as traffic management, as well as integrating cooperative and automated approaches through existing transport systems, for example, public transport networks.

ERTICO’s approach, founded on technology neutrality, seeks to enable interoperability and cooperation for a CCAM world that is open to all
We also believe in large-scale demonstrations, testing and pilots – learning by doing – to showcase CCAM technologies, support user engagement and public involvement (embracement in the jargon), making CCAM a reality faster. Given ERTICO’s multi-stakeholder nature, we play a unique role in formulating and recommending common evaluation methodologies and validation frameworks for CCAM by facilitating cross-sector knowledge exchange and thought leadership for the safe and successful deployment of CCAM. We are trusted by the European Commission to be one of the founder members of its co-programmed CCAM Partnership, officially launched in June 2021. This strong presence will see us co-create the partnership’s priorities and steer the development of the future Horizon Europe Work Programmes in CCAM in areas such as coordination and integration of the vehicle in the transport system.

For many years, ERTICO is connecting the dots to advance key coordination tools while providing harmonised methodologies and share the best practices and driving innovation in technology with its Partners, including edge computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, cyber security and the Internet of Things – showcasing CCAM in action.

Platforms and Mobility Spaces in CCAM:

ERTICO’s Partnership Projects in CCAM: