CENTREe (Competitiveness of the European Road Transport Research Ecosystem) is a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). CENTREe aims to further develop Europe's Road Transport Research (RTR) ecosystem. Aligned with the European Green Deal, it counteracts the fragmentation of the research landscape, helps accelerate innovation uptake and fosters collaboration across sectors and borders, while supporting Europe's shift towards sustainable mobility to ensure long-term resilience, inclusivity and technological leadership.
The project pursues six operational objectives:
- Improved strategies for research, innovation and deployment
- Advanced digitalisation for sustainable mobility: integrating AI, big data and Software Defined Vehicles (SDV)
- Expanded stakeholder community (engaging underrepresented actors and regions, including EU13 Member States)
- Strengthened international collaboration and replication strategies in other countries (USA, Asia, Africa and Latin America)
- Accelerated roll-out of new education, training and (re-)skilling pathways
- Established and improved knowledge sharing mechanisms
Considering the recommendations of the Draghi Report on European competitiveness and in preparation for the future Framework Programme (The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation), CENTREe fosters innovation capacity and technological sovereignty within the European road transport sector. By strengthening the innovation pipeline from research to deployment, CENTREe supports the EU’s strategic autonomy and leadership in sustainable mobility, while driving forward Europe's shift towards long-term resilience, inclusivity and quality employment in the automotive sector. The project is executed by an experienced consortium combining industry leaders, academic institutions and umbrella organisations representing RTR stakeholders as well as key persons involved in relevant Horizon Europe Partnerships, Platforms and Associations.
The CENTREe project is funded under Horizon Europe, project number 101269385, call HORIZON-CL5-2025-04, topic HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D5-19.