Brussels, 22/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - In a joint declaration at a high-level meeting in Barcelona on Monday 22 February, business leaders from the automobile and telecommunications sectors, together with the Commissioner for the Digital Economy, Günther Oettinger, identified three fields of action for stepping up cooperation between industry and the European Commission: connectivity, standardisation and security.
According to manufacturers, the autonomous and connected car sector currently emerging is expected to account for 44 million automated vehicles on the world market by 2030. The two sectors mentioned above are therefore launching an appeal for clear Union support to develop the infrastructure needed to help the expansion of autonomous cars. One of the challenges involves establishing a European level system that facilitates the exchange of millions of data per second with vehicles.
Therefore, on the question of connectivity, declaration signatures are calling on the European Commission to introduce a neutral regulatory framework and provide funding to enable the private sector set up both fixed and mobile infrastructures. In the context of standardisation, they are committed to mapping out all ongoing standardisation activities begun by the automobile and telecommunications sectors in their work to define the priority fields of action required for European standardisation. On the issue of security, the two sectors have also made a commitment to stepping up their cooperation in the context of the “EU Industry Dialogue on automated and connected driving” launched last September
This declaration was published during the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona (see other article), which every year brings together some of the biggest players in the mobile telephone industry. Declaration signatories include the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), the European Telecommunication Network Operators (ETNO), the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) and the GSMA,which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide,.
The European Commission, particularly the Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, is placing much emphasis on autonomous cars, given the huge potential they represent in the area of road safety (see EUROPE 11492 and EUROPE 11467). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)