The aim of this research programme is to investigate what transformational change automation will create for National Road Authorities (NRA’s). Specifically what new opportunities will automation produce and what core business changes are required to unlock these opportunities?

This research will focus on crosscutting automation up to 2040 that supports:

1. Road safety
2. Traffic efficiency
3. Environment
4. Customer service

The call has three sub-themes:

A: How will automation change the core business of NRA’s?
B: What new options do NRAs have from digitalisation and automation
C: Practical learnings for NRAs from test sites

Following an open Call between November 22, 2017, and March 1, 2018, the Programme Executive Board selected three successful projects.

MANTRA – Making full use of Automation for National road TRansport Authorities

Project Partners: TRAFICON (Coordinator; Finland), Arndt (Germany), HiTec (Austria), University of Leeds (UK), TU Delft (Netherlands) and VTT (Finland)

Project results:

• Vehicle fleet penetrations and ODD coverage of NRA-relevant automation functions up to 2040 (D2.1)
• Impacts of connected and automated vehicles – State of the art (D3.1)
• Consequences of automation functions to infrastructure (D4.1)
• Impacts of automation functions on NRA policy targets (D3.2)
• Consequences of automation functions to infrastructure (D4.2)
• Draft road map – road operator core business affected by connectivity and automation (D5.1)
• Road map for developing road operator core business utilising connectivity and automation (D5.2)
• MANTRA Final Conference presentation

DIRIZON – Advanced options for authorities in the light of automation and digitalisation horizon 2040

Project Partners: TNO (Coordinator; Netherlands), Albrecht (Germany), ROD (Ireland), AustriaTech (AustriaTech)

Project results:

• NRAs and Digitalisation (D2.1)
• Digitalisation and Automation: Implications for use cases, Identification of Stakeholders and Data Needs and Requirements (D3.1)
• Report on stakeholder responsibilities in the areas of data exchange, digital platform, and actions needed for making identified use cases reality (D4.1)
• DIRIZON Final Conference presentation

STAPLE – SiTe Automation Practical Learning

Project Partners: FEHRL (Coordinator; Belgium), AIT (Austria), ERICA (Portugal), IFSTTAR (France), Maple Consulting (UK), VTI (Sweden)

Project results:

• Catalogue of connected and automated driving test sites (D2.1)
• Summary of findings from interviews and site visits (D3.1)
• Practical learnings from test sites and impact assessments (D4.1 & D4.2)
• Recommendations for future test sites (D5.1)
• STAPLE Final Conference presentation