Prague, July 20, 2023 – VDT Technology and other major players in the field of autonomous and cooperative transport, including Yunex, TÜV SÜD, Smart Plan, the Prague Advanced Technology and Research Innovation Center (PATRIC), and IDIADA, have joined with academia represented by the Faculty of Transport of the Czech Technical University to initiate the creation of a new autonomous mobility association in the Czech Republic called CzeCCAM (Association for Autonomous and Cooperative Mobility in the Czech Republic). CzeCCAM is a non-profit organisation that aims to support the development of autonomous mobility technologies. CzeCCAM has become a member of the European CCAM Association, which brings together more than 214 entities active in the field of connected, cooperative and automated mobility.
The main task of CzeCCAM is to actively participate and cooperate in important projects that will contribute to the integration of autonomous mobility into the everyday life of Czech citizens. Cooperative and autonomous mobility are already beginning to play a significant role in people’s lives while simultaneously making a great impact on the environment. Projects cover topics such as integrating cooperative vehicles into urban governance and management, creating new services for citizens, setting urban policies, adapting legislation at the national level and changing transport behaviours. Coordination and cooperation between different actors is essential for the successful implementation of these complex topics. The acquisition and use of relevant data is also crucial for the implementation of autonomous mobility.
CzeCCAM aims to accelerate the development and implementation of new autonomous mobility technologies and raise awareness of their potential. Professor Ondřej Přibyl, Dean of the Faculty of Transport of the CTU, emphasizes: “We have established an association that brings together scientific institutions and commercial companies to jointly influence the development and application of autonomous mobility. We want to contribute to the creation of sustainable and efficient solutions that make people’s daily lives easier and minimize the impact on the environment.”
Lubomir Šembera, Director of Telematics at VDT Technology, adds: “The formation of the association is a significant step for the development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic. Progressive solutions for improving transport infrastructure require close cooperation between individuals and companies that share the same interests. The role of CzeCCAM is to strengthen this cooperation.”
CzeCCAM brings together partners from industry, research, services, government and public administration, SMEs and other professional organisations. Together, they aim to facilitate the implementation of autonomous driving technologies that will improve road safety and the efficiency of the transport network while contributing to environmental protection, at the same time striving to make the Czech Republic a hub for transport development. The aim is to create transport infrastructure that is inclusive for all users.
Lubomír Šembera continues: “Autonomous mobility is the future of Czech public transport. Together with our partners from industry and academia, we are involved in interesting projects that bring new autonomous solutions. We look forward to working with our colleagues at CzeCCAM to improve transport infrastructure.”
CzeCCAM plans to conduct large-scale demonstrations of new technologies and evaluate their impact in real-life situations to ensure safe interaction with other road users and increase safety for users of autonomous mobility. The association will also set industry standards for the validation, verification and evaluation of autonomous systems in the Czech transport environment.
The consortium will also focus on the integration of autonomous vehicles into existing transport networks and the promotion of key technologies such as artificial intelligence, Big Data and cyber security. It will assess the impact of advanced systems on users and on society as a whole, coordinating all stakeholders to ensure that projects are implemented efficiently and responsibly.
“Ensuring the integration of autonomous mobility into the existing urban environment is as important as the development of the technology itself,” adds Professor Přibyl: “This new association will ensure that developments are carried out and implemented in the right way and deliver real benefits as part of an efficient and sustainable transport network.”
For more information, please contact:
Kateřina Fričová, Best Communications
katerina.fricova@bestcg.com, tel.: +420 602 615 093