SMARTAUTO: Driving Smart Policy Innovation for Autonomous Transport in Europe

Introduction

As Europe advances towards a future of autonomous mobility, regions across the continent are at varying stages of readiness when it comes to adopting autonomous vehicles (AVs). To ensure a balanced and inclusive transition, the SMARTAUTO project—Smart Policy Innovation for Enhanced Automation in European Transport—was launched under the EU Interreg Europe programme (2025–2028). Its goal: to promote cross-regional collaboration, smart policymaking, and inclusive innovation for AV adoption.

🌍 What is SMARTAUTO?

SMARTAUTO is a collaborative European initiative that unites regional governments, academic institutions, transport authorities, and innovation agencies to bridge the automation gap between advanced and less developed regions. By fostering knowledge exchange and coordinated policymaking, the project aims to create a supportive ecosystem for autonomous mobility across Europe.

🎯 Key Objectives

SMARTAUTO focuses on several critical goals:

1. Knowledge Sharing

Facilitate the exchange of technical, regulatory, and social knowledge among participating regions. This helps areas with less experience in AVs learn from those with successful pilot projects and infrastructure.

2. Policy Improvement

Identify and address gaps in current local and regional policies regarding autonomous transport. SMARTAUTO offers tools to assess and refine existing policies to better accommodate AVs.

3. Impact Evaluation

Measure the social, economic, and environmental effects of AVs on both personal mobility and logistics. The data supports evidence-based decision-making for future planning.

4. Capacity Building

Develop tools and methodologies to assist policymakers in understanding AV technology and its implications, ensuring well-informed governance across Europe. smartestate.ro
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🤝 Project Partners

SMARTAUTO brings together a strong consortium of European partners from both the public and private sectors, including: https://uscwca.com/ https://weboscura.com/ www.heritagebodyandframe.com https://hivecreativesolutions.com fun88bk.vip

• University of Aveiro (Portugal)

• Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany)

• NASA GmbH (Germany)

• TTS Italia (Italy)

• Qartu (Estonia)

• City of Tuzla and BIT Center Ltd (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

• TPBI (Romania)

• South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (Hungary)

• City of Águeda (Portugal)

• Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) (Ireland)

This diverse mix of regions ensures a wide range of perspectives and experiences that enrich the project’s impact.

🧪 Project Activities

The SMARTAUTO initiative involves a broad range of activities, including:

• Policy Mapping and Benchmarking
  Reviewing current regulations and projects to gather best practices from AV initiatives across Europe.

• Stakeholder Involvement
  Engaging government officials, businesses, researchers, and citizens to ensure that AV policies reflect public needs and interests.

• Tool and Method Development
  Creating practical tools that regions can use to assess the readiness and impact of AVs, helping to build future-ready strategies.

📈 Expected Results

SMARTAUTO aims to:

• Enhance regional cooperation by building networks among AV stakeholders.

• Enable informed decision-making through evidence-based policy recommendations.

• Accelerate AV adoption in less experienced regions by learning from more advanced ones.

• Support sustainable development by integrating AVs into clean, efficient, and accessible transport systems.

🔚 Conclusion

The SMARTAUTO project is a bold and strategic step toward a harmonized, safe, and smart AV ecosystem across Europe. By supporting regions at every stage of automation, it ensures that no community is left behind in the transition to the future of mobility.