New ERTRAC Position Paper: Road Transport Research and Innovation in Horizon Europe and European Competitiveness Fund 2028-2034

Together with many European associations active in Research and Innovation for Road Transport - ALICE, EARPA, ECTRI, ERTICO, EUPAVE, FEHRL, FIA, IRU, POLIS, and UITP - the European Technology platform ERTRAC advocates for a dedicated space for Road Transport Research in the upcoming Horizon Europe programme 2028-2034. In complementarity with the setup of a Joint Undertaking to support R&I in the automotive sector, the continuity of European collaborative research is necessary to address the systemic road transport research needs that are critical to improve the efficiency, sustainability, safety and resilience of the whole mobility system.

The System approach, taking a holistic view of the mobility system’s core elements (road users, physical, digital and energy infrastructures, and all types of vehicles), is of crucial importance to deliver benefits to society and achieve the twin transformation - green and digital - of the European transport system.

Download the position paper to read the approach recommended and spotlight examples of these systemic research needs: addressing Urban Mobility, Road Infrastructure, Road Safety, and Logistics. The paper also addresses the European Competitiveness Fund, calling for the tools of the ECF to include transport as one of the key sectors to be supported, and for a coherent funding coordination between R&D under Horizon Europe and market implementation under the ECF.