Brussels, Belgium | 25 November 2025 – After nearly five years of research and large-scale testing, the European flagship project Hi-Drive has reached its conclusion. In the lead-up to its Final Event in Brussels, IRF and the Hi-Drive consortium hosted a closing webinar exploring the technologies enabling safer and more reliable automated driving across Europe. 

Advancing Technology Enablers for Higher Automation 

Held on 15 October, the webinar “Technology Enablers for Higher Vehicle Automation and Operations” brought together experts to discuss how key technologies such as V2X communication, high-precision positioning, machine learning and cybersecurity. It was shared how these kinds of technology are helping extend and harmonise Operational Design Domains (ODDs). 

Speakers from ICCS and Stellantis-CRF shared insights from more than 120 experiments carried out across Europe, covering controlled environments and public roads with real traffic and weather conditions. These tests provided valuable data on how Automated Driving Functions (ADFs) perform in complex situations including low visibility, mixed traffic and cross-border travel. 

This final knowledge exchange set the stage for Hi-Drive’s full results showcased in Brussels. 

Celebrating Europe’s Flagship Automated Driving Project 

On 25 November, the Hi-Drive Final Event at AutoWorld Brussels gathered experts, industry leaders and partners to celebrate the outcomes of this €60 million Horizon 2020 project. The event featured 29 exhibits, including 16 prototype vehicles and 5 simulators.  

It demonstrations of next-generation automated driving technologies and featured panel discussions highlighting achievements across vehicles, enablers, operations, impact assessment and user studies 

Testing during the project included over 6,000 test runs, 37 prototype vehicles, 38 use cases and 1,800 participants, covering motorways, urban and rural roads, parking environments and diverse weather conditions. 

Human-Centric Automated Mobility 

A central component of Hi-Drive’s work was understanding how people engage with automated vehicles. Through global studies involving 20,000 participants, the project examined user acceptance, comfort, safety perception and interaction with both in-vehicle and external human–machine interfaces (HMIs). Innovative methods such as VR-based comfort studies and advanced driver monitoring helped shape a more inclusive approach to automation. 

The closing webinar and Final Event together showcased how Hi-Drive has transformed research into practical innovation. Hi-Drive leaves behind a robust legacy for future automated mobility across Europe, having strengthened technical foundations, validated operations and presented deep insights into user needs.