CCAM at Scale: Why Infrastructure Matters
CCAM at Scale: Why Infrastructure Matters
Europe is preparing for the next generation of large-scale demonstrations of Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM). That is both necessary and timely. After years of successful research, the challenge is no longer simply to put more automated vehicles on European roads, but to demonstrate how automated mobility can work safely and reliably across the diverse road environments in which those vehicles will actually operate.
But as we move from research projects to demonstrations at scale, there is a risk that we ask the wrong question.
The challenge is not simply how to put more automated vehicles on European roads. It is how to make automated mobility work safely, reliably and economically across the extraordinarily diverse road environments in which those vehicles will actually operate.
For much of the past decade, the debate around automated driving has periodically been reduced to a choice between two competing visions: increasingly capable vehicles able to understand virtually any environment through onboard technology, or increasingly sophisticated infrastructure supporting those vehicles from the roadside.
Experience suggests that this is a false choice.
Research undertaken through European CCAM projects which the International Road Federation participates, increasingly points towards a hybrid model. Vehicle capabilities will continue to advance rapidly. But targeted improvements to Physical, Digital and Communication Infrastructure (PDI) can make those capabilities safer, more reliable and deployable across a wider range of operating conditions.
This should have important consequences for the way Europe designs its next generation of large-scale demonstrations.
From vehicle demonstrations to system demonstrations
It goes without saying that automated vehicles do not operate in a vacuum. They operate on roads. Those roads contain markings, signs, junctions, work zones and traffic signals. They increasingly also contain digital representations of those assets, dynamic traffic information, roadside sensing, positioning services and communications infrastructure. Each of these components can influence what an automated vehicle can reliably perceive, anticipate and ultimately do.
Recent European pilots have conclusively demonstrated that infrastructure-based sensing can improve detection where vehicle perception encounters predictable limitations: an obscured vulnerable road user, a merging vehicle beyond the immediate field of view, workers inside a temporary work zone or an approaching emergency vehicle.
Combining infrastructure and onboard perception can allow an automated vehicle to anticipate an event earlier. Reliable digital information can warn vehicles about hazards they cannot yet see. Infrastructure-supported positioning can provide resilience where GNSS performance deteriorates. Accurate information about temporary road configurations can prevent the physical and digital road from telling the vehicle two different stories.
CCAM infrastructure at scale does not have to mean infrastructure everywhere
Europe has 27 Member States, hundreds of road authorities and operators, widely differing investment cycles and enormous variation in the quality and digital maturity of its networks. The automotive technology cycle inevitably moves faster.
But this does not mean that infrastructure choices can be deferred until automated vehicles are ready.
Nor does it mean that Europe needs to equip every kilometre of road with expensive roadside technology. A much more pragmatic pathway is available to us.
Start with the foundations. High-quality and machine-readable markings and signs, reliable digital road information and consistent representation of changes to the road environment are investments which benefit conventional road users as much as automated vehicles. They are, in that sense, no-regret investments.
Then target additional digital and communication capabilities where they provide demonstrable value: complex intersections, vulnerable road-user conflict points, work zones, tunnels, strategic freight routes or locations where infrastructure-based perception can compensate for known visibility limitations.
Only where demand, safety benefits and economic justification warrant it should Europe progress towards more extensively enabled corridors and automated mobility zones.
The question therefore isn’t how quickly can we upgrade every road in Europe? It is: where does infrastructure support materially improve the safety, reliability or deployability of automated mobility and what is the minimum level of support required to achieve it.
Deployment is part of competitiveness
Europe’s automotive industry faces formidable global competition. Supporting innovation in automated driving, AI and vehicle technology is therefore an entirely legitimate strategic priority. But competitiveness cannot be measured only by the sophistication of the vehicle. It must eventually be measured by our ability to deploy the technology.
A vehicle capable of highly automated operation under carefully defined conditions is one achievement. A mobility system capable of supporting that vehicle reliably across cities, motorways, temporary work zones, different road operators and national borders is another.
Europe needs both.
Previous CCAM programmes have already shown that moving from successful pilots to scalable deployment depends on interoperability, common operational procedures, predictable digital information and coordination across infrastructure and vehicle systems.
A large-scale demonstration that primarily scales the number of vehicles without simultaneously testing the conditions necessary for their deployment risks answering yesterday’s question at tomorrow’s scale.
Putting the road back into the CCAM roadshow
The next phase of European CCAM research represents an opportunity to move beyond proving individual technologies towards demonstrating a deployable European mobility system.
Doing so does not require delaying automotive innovation while Europe waits for its infrastructure to catch up. It requires recognising that vehicle readiness and infrastructure readiness are interdependent and developing them accordingly.
Our projects have given us increasingly sophisticated tools to classify infrastructure support, assess road readiness, understand Operational Design Domains and prioritise investment. They have also demonstrated infrastructure-supported functions under real-world conditions.
The logical next step is to test those relationships at scale, alongside the vehicles they are intended to support.
Europe should certainly continue investing in better automated vehicles. But if our objective is large-scale automated mobility, we also need to understand the roads on which they will drive.
That is what the next generation of CCAM demonstrations should demonstrate.
Safe Roads Africa Regional Seminar
Accelerating the Transformation of Road Infrastructure in North & West Africa
Regional Conference | Dakar, Senegal | 1–2 December 2026
Regional Conference | Dakar, Senegal | 1–2 December 2026
How can countries move beyond isolated road safety interventions to embed safety, inclusivity and resilience into the very fabric of infrastructure investment?
This question will be at the heart of the Regional Conference on Safe & Inclusive Road Design in North & West Africa, bringing together government leaders, road agencies, development partners and technical experts to reflect on the next generation of road infrastructure across the region.
Building on two years of collaboration under the Safe & Inclusive Road Design in North & West Africa initiative, the conference will present the project’s principal findings while looking firmly ahead: from improved design standards and strengthened institutional capacity to investment strategies that place road safety at the centre of national development.
Discussions will explore how countries can:
Modernise road design standards through Safe System principles
Integrate safety into the planning, delivery and management of infrastructure assets
Build the institutional and technical capacity needed to sustain long-term change
Align road safety objectives with climate resilience and inclusive mobility
Develop investment pipelines that attract financing while delivering measurable social and economic benefits
Participation is by invitation, with a limited number of places available for stakeholders whose expertise and engagement can contribute to the regional dialogue. Note that the event will benefit from simultaneous interpretation to/from English to French.
Access the concept note for more details:
Interested in participating? Send us a message!
Project Updates
Building Road Safety Expertise in Pakistan
Pakistan | 17 - 28 August 2026 - The International Road Federation (IRF) is delivering a ten-day Road Safety Auditors Training programme for officials from road agencies, in partnership with the World Bank Group, to support the development of future Road Safety Auditors and Road Safety Inspectors.
IRF Lead Trainer Eur Ing Miguel-Angel Serrano Santos is leading the programme, bringing more than two decades of international road safety experience across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Apart from his work with IRF, he also serves as Senior Road Safety Specialist at UNOPS, with previous experience overseeing Road Safety Audits and working on road safety programmes in countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Road safety depends not only on safer infrastructure, but on having professionals with the knowledge and skills to identify risks, assess road environments and recommend effective interventions. Strengthening this expertise is therefore an important part of improving how road infrastructure is planned, designed and managed.
From knowledge to practical application
The 60-hour programme is designed to move beyond theoretical understanding. Participants are introduced to the technical and legal frameworks underpinning Road Safety Audits and Inspections, while also examining collision investigation, accident reconstruction, road design, roadside safety, tunnels, vehicle restraint systems and infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
The training also incorporates the Safe System and Vision Zero approaches, alongside International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) methodology, helping participants understand how these frameworks can be applied in audit and inspection practice.
Practical training is a central component. Participants assess rural roads, interchanges, urban roads, intersections and work zones, applying the principles covered during the programme to real road environments. The programme concludes with theoretical and practical examinations, requiring participants to demonstrate both knowledge and practical auditing competence.
Strengthening the next generation of road safety professionals
Participants are developing capabilities that can be applied within their respective road agencies to identify deficiencies, understand the factors contributing to severe and fatal injuries and use available data to inform recommendations for remedial measures.
Those who successfully pass both examinations receive a Certificate of Competence and are entered into the IRF International Road Safety Auditors Registry at Observer level.
This creates a direct link between professional development and stronger road safety practice: building the capacity of officials who can apply structured safety assessment to road projects and existing infrastructure, supporting better-informed decisions about where and how safety improvements are needed.
IRF Certifies New Cohort of Road Safety Auditors in India
The International Road Federation (IRF) has successfully concluded the third batch of the International Registry for Road Safety Auditors, a ten-day internationally certified training programme held from 20 to 31 July 2026 at the CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) in New Delhi, with the support of TotalEnergies Foundation.
Building on the success of the previous editions, the programme brought together road safety professionals from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), CSIR-CRRI, highway operators, consultants, concessionaires, infrastructure companies and other organisations from across India.
Throughout the programme, participants strengthened their technical expertise through intensive classroom instruction, practical exercises, case studies and field-based applications covering road safety audits, Safe System principles, crash investigation, vulnerable road user safety, work zone safety and road infrastructure risk assessment.
The programme was led by IRF Lead Trainer Eur Ing Miguel-Angel Serrano Santos, whose extensive international experience provided participants with practical insights into globally recognised road safety auditing methodologies and their application to real-world infrastructure projects.
The Valedictory Ceremony was attended by Mr. K.K. Kapila, President Emeritus of the International Road Federation, Dr. C. Ravi Sekhar, Director of CSIR-CRRI and Dr. K. Ravinder, Senior Scientist at CSIR-CRRI.
The dignitaries awarded certificates to participants who successfully completed both the theoretical and practical assessments, recognising their achievement in meeting the programme's rigorous international certification requirements.
A defining feature of this third batch was the exceptional commitment demonstrated by every participant. All participants successfully completed the programme and earned their certification, reflecting the high level of dedication, professionalism, and engagement maintained throughout the ten-day course.
The successful conclusion of this edition further reinforces the programme's impact in developing India's road safety auditing capacity. As part of the IRF International Registry for Road Safety Auditors, the certification equips professionals with internationally recognised competencies to assess road infrastructure, identify safety risks and recommend improvements that contribute to safer roads for all.
Participant feedback highlighted the programme's value, with many praising the quality of the training materials, the practical, hands-on approach and the opportunity to learn directly from international experience. Several participants also recommended expanding future editions with additional field visits, country-specific case studies and more practical exercises, demonstrating strong engagement and a desire to continue building their expertise.
With three successful editions now completed, the programme continues to strengthen a growing network of internationally certified road safety auditors in the region.
