Connectivity and automation will likely provide answers to future transport and mobility challenges, Ron Borsboom, Director of Product Development at DAF Trucks, said as part of an automotive business conference in Europe.
Last week, some 200 key stakeholders in the field of automotive research and innovation met in Brussels for the European Council for Automotive R&D’s (EUCAR) annual conference, with a special focus on discussing the sector’s role in shaping the future of the European market.
Borsboom explained that connectivity and automation will most likely be the answers to future mobility challenges, even though “many questions” have to be answered first. “Continued support from the European Commission is therefore crucial, as not all answers can be provided by one industry on its own.”
“Innovation is happening at an accelerated pace, and more specifically through digitalisation,” said Vladimir Šucha, Director General of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, adding that it is important for the automotive industry to prepare for exponential growth, new innovation processes and arising digital business models.
The importance of collaborative European research for the competitiveness of the EU automotive industry was also emphasised by Loek van Seeters, Chairman of EUCAR and Director Product and Services Planning at DAF Trucks.
Seeters also pointed out that European vehicle manufacturers are the largest private investors in R&D in Europe with over €44 billion investment per annum.