Driving Europe Forward: A New Era for Connected and Automated Mobility
In a landmark move to future-proof Europe’s automotive industry, the European Commission has launched the European Connected and Automated Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA)—a bold initiative uniting key stakeholders to accelerate innovation in smart mobility, autonomous driving, and sustainable transport.
This new alliance marks a strategic merger of three major Horizon Europe partnerships:
- 2Zero – focused on zero-emission road transport
- CCAM – advancing Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility
- BATT4EU – driving innovation across the battery value chain.
Read more here.
Together, these partnerships will now operate under a unified framework, aligning their efforts to tackle the automotive sector’s most pressing challenges—from digitalisation and decarbonisation to global competitiveness and supply chain resilience.
Looking ahead, the European Commission is exploring the creation of a dedicated Automotive Joint Undertaking (JU) under the next Framework Programme (FP10), starting in 2028. This JU would serve as the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme for transforming the European automotive sector
The first ECAVA Forum is expected to convene later this year, setting the stage for the development of an innovation roadmap, preparations for a potential Joint Undertaking and coordination of funding streams including Horizon Europe, IPCEI, and InvestEU. With €1 billion in joint public-private investment planned for 2025–2027, the alliance is set to become a cornerstone of Europe’s clean mobility transition.
Join the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Alliance (ECAVA)
Irish organisations active in software-defined vehicles, autonomous driving, AI, battery innovation, or related fields—including SMEs, start-ups, research centres, and universities—are welcome to apply here. Applications are open indefinitely, and organisations can join at any time.