- In Abruzzo the first eco-system dedicated to innovation for intelligent transport
- A strategic asset to enhance made-in-Italy satellite technologies in Europe
- A plan to increase know-how and highly specialized employment
The transport sector has embarked on a process of irreversible transformation with the energy transition and connected driving at its core, which are essential to achieve the agreed objectives in Europe of decarbonisation and increased safety. Train automation is a forerunner to the use of new satellite technologies with the highest safety standards that will gradually be implemented on a large scale in the automotive sector and also in the maritime sector to automate ship docking manoeuvres and make ports more efficient and competitive. To seize this opportunity, Radiolabs has launched a plan to enhance and systematize the technological synergies between the different transport systems. The core of the plan is the connected driving car that benefits from progress in the railway sector but at the same time represents a “platform” to face the greatest challenges for vehicle automation but with the potential of a market able to reduce costs and bring benefits to all means of transport.
On January 11th, Radiolabs, the University of L’Aquila and Polo Innovazione Abruzzo – creators of the innovative ecosystem for the enabling technologies of the connected driving car in Abruzzo shared with ASI the progress of the EMERGE and P-CAR projects – pillars of the roadmap for the integration of satellite technologies in CCAM cooperative and connected guided systems. The plan is focused on the Abruzzo Region which, in the S3 2021-26 program, includes both aerospace and the connected vehicle among its priorities, and hosts important industrial sites such as the Control Centre of the Galileo system and DUCATO vehicles as well as the research laboratories of Radiolabs, the Centre of Excellence of the University of L’Aquila and the IAM Innovation Pole.
The EMERGE project, the result of the Innovation Agreement signed with MISE[1], and coordinated with FCA/Stellantis has made it possible to develop high-integrity geo-location technologies, V2X connectivity and cybersecurity techniques that will be integrated into the DUCATO vehicle.
The P-CAR project[2] funded by ASI through ESA will allow the creation in L’Aquila of the first “independent” European laboratory for the validation and certification of geo-location, communications and cybersecurity systems for connected and autonomous driving cars. The Laboratory will be equipped with a cloud platform to allow interaction with other centers both nationally and internationally including the European Space Agency’s laboratory.
The University of L’Aquila, partner of EMERGE and P-CAR has in the meantime created a Center of Excellence dedicated to Research, Training, and Innovation in the new technological domains for the connected and autonomous driving car. Particularly important is the role of the Innovation Hub for the involvement of the production chain in new technologies destined to have a significant impact on future mobility. The meeting with ASI, which ended with the full satisfaction of the participants, allowed outlining of further initiatives and collaborations aimed at enhancing the Abruzzo ecosystem as a strategic lever to acquire a prominent role at the international level, favoring further synergies with other transport sectors that share the same objectives of decarbonization, increased safety, and economic sustainability.
[1] RadioLabs – Green Light to EMERGE
