A summary of EUCAD2025: Accelerating Europe’s journey towards Connected and Automated Mobility

Created on 2 June, 2025

This year EUCAD (the European Conference on Connected and Automated Driving) took place in Ispra, Italy, at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) from 13-15 May. More than 400 experts, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers gathered to share knowledge, explore new ideas, and discuss the path toward safer, smarter, and more inclusive mobility in Europe.

The conference was co-organised by the European Commission, the CCAM Association, and the FAME project and served as a key platform to connect the research, policy, and industry communities.

The event was introduced by a an animated video showcasing the advantages of CCAM technologies for European citizens, namely a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable mobility, and alongside a rich programme of sessions and panels, all  30 CCAM Partnership projects where featured in the exhibition space, while live demonstrations allowed attendees to experience automated and connected mobility first-hand. 

 

• The keynote speakers’ message: we need speed

The opening session was characterised by a strong call for action by all speakers. Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive at Trafikverket Susanne Nielsen Skovgaard, CTO of Continental Nino Romano, EC Director-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) Marc Lemaître, and MEP Pierfrancesco Maran pointed out that

• “We are in a time of change—and we must embrace it.”
• “We need to let people experience innovation on our streets.”
• “We need speed—we must move faster.”
• “We need a shared goal with clear steps to reach deployment.”

 

• Turning research into action

Afterwards, during the  CCAM Partnership plenary session, 30 EU-funded CCAM Partnership projects were introduced. Sharing their first results it was underscored that there is the need to pass these findings to the right people, such as cities, regions, and transport operators, so that they can put them into practice.

Speakers included EC DG GROW Team Leader – Automated/Connected Vehicles and Safety Maria Cristina Galassi, CCAM Association Chair Christian Merkt, CCAM Association Vice-Chair Hamid Zarghampour, and Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) President Evangelos Bekiaris. They highlighted how while Europe is strong in research, it still needs all stakeholders’ commitment to turn that research into real-life use.

As a matter of fact, a key theme of the event was that CCAM is not just about technology. It’s about people. Several sessions often focused on societal aspects like accessibility, trust, and how these systems can improve daily life.

 

• The role of new technologies

The event also covered technologies enabling CCAM, such as AI, data fusion, V2X communication, cloud computing, and software-defined vehicles. Discussing technology, one question emerged: “How safe is safe enough?” – a question which points towards the role of testing, especially real-world testing.

 

• The role EU Member States

The event also included discussions of the relationships between the EU and member states. While type-approval rules are set at the EU level, each Member State decides how vehicles can access their roads. initiatives such as the European Forum for Automated Transport works effectively with the CCAM States Representatives Group (SRG), chaired by Tereza Cizkova. its goal is to aligns national and European research efforts.

• CCAM as a driver for sustainability

Sustainability was also a key topic – as exemplified by a  new study by the EC JRC team — Biagio Ciuffo, Ada Garus, and Konstantinos Mattas, presented at the conference. the study, focusing on energy consumption by Level 3 and 4  automated vehicles showcased how they can, if well managed, optimise time and energy consumption.

 

• A big step forward for Europe

EUCAD2025 showed that Europe is ready to move forward. With high-level discussions, a full exhibition, live demos, and open conversations, the event created strong momentum toward making CCAM a reality.

 

Three days. Over 400 participants. More than 30 projects. 18 parallel sessions. One shared goal: connected and automated mobility for all.

Thank you to all speakers, participants, project teams, and co-organisers for your ideas, energy, and dedication at EUCAD2025.

Source: read the full summary here.