The event “Automated and Connected Driving for a Successful Mobility Transition: Why We Need Coordinated Digital Test Fields at the European Level” took place on 2 October 2024 in Brussels. Around 90 representatives from business, science, politics and associations took part.

On 2 October 2024, the Minister of Transport of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, invited representatives from politics, science, business, associations and civil society to discuss the need for joint coordination of digital test fields at European level. The Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union in Brussels was the perfect venue for the event. Around 90 participants took the opportunity to find out how transnational coordination of the activities of digital test fields could advance the development of automated and connected driving across Europe through keynote speeches, panel discussions and themed sessions. High-ranking representatives as well as experts from various stakeholder groups were invited to speak and provided insights into the opportunities and challenges as well as the political view of the topic.

This was preceded by the project “Coordination of autonomous mobility test fields” (KoTAM), a German initiative of the four federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. It has successfully demonstrated at a national level that a coordinated approach helps to effectively integrate digital test fields into the research and development activities of research institutions, universities and industry. The results make it clear that the exchange of experience, knowledge transfer, problem-solving approaches and networking of the stakeholders involved (test field operators, decision-makers and mobility experts) are essential in order to tackle the technical, economic, legal and social challenges associated with autonomous driving in a targeted manner. In this respect, the experience gained during the implementation of KoTAM has also shown that, in addition to nationwide coordination of the test fields, networking within the EU is also desirable.

Digital test fields in road traffic are an essential building block on the path to the practical viability of cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM). They offer a wide range of technical, digital and infrastructural possibilities for testing purposes. Research and development activities in the area of automated and connected driving can be tested and further optimised under realistic, controlled conditions.

EICT conceived, organised and coordinated the event on site on behalf of the FZI Research Center for Information Technology and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg.