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Call key data
Scenario-based safety assurance of CCAM and related HMI in a dynamically evolving transport system (CCAM Partnership)
Funding Program
Horizon Europe - Cluster 5 - Destination 6: Safe, Resilient Transport and Smart Mobility services for passengers and goods
Call number
HORIZON-CL5-2024-D6-01-02
deadlines
Opening
07.05.2024
Deadline
05.09.2024 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 14,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 14,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Projects should work on an extension of the safety validation procedures and certification schemes for the safe deployment of CCAM systems, taking advanced human-machine interaction and a continuous in-service monitoring approach into account.
Call objectives
To ensure the safety of CCAM, it is essential that vehicles are not only safe during the (first) type approval, but also during their complete lifetime in a fast-changing road transport system. Changes can result from the evolution of the CCAM system itself, for example, as a result of increasing connectivity using V2X communication, the use of AI-based systems, and OTA (over-the-air) software updates. The traffic system, in which CCAM systems are being deployed, is changing at a rapid pace as well, with an increased market share of vehicles with higher levels of automation, new (personal) mobility devices and autonomous mobility robots (e.g., for package delivery).
At the same time, the way CCAM systems interact with humans in traffic is changing. Until full automation in transport is reached, the human driver will keep on playing an essential role. Also, the interaction with other road users will change, supported by technologies that allow a CCAM system to communicate its intentions to other road users.
As a consequence of these innovations and developments, the safe deployment of CCAM systems needs an extension of the safety validation procedures and certification schemes, taking advanced human-machine interaction and a continuous in-service monitoring approach into account. Due to the many different scenarios and variations that can occur realistically and that consequently need to be tested, it should be possible that a large part of the assessment is performed in a virtual simulation environment.
The proposed actions are expected to address all of the following aspects:
- Developing a validation methodology for scenario-based safety assurance of AI-based CCAM functions. Trustworthiness of the AI-algorithms depends on how well the system responds to scenarios in its Operational Design Domain (ODD) – specificity and how it responds in case it ends-up outside its ODD – robustness. Consequently, methods need to be developed on the use of scenarios to describe the ODD of AI-based systems.
- Connectivity. Developing validation procedures for CCAM systems that rely on V2X for safety-critical functions i.e., the inclusion of the connectivity context. Ensuring aspects of reliability, trustworthiness and cyber-security with respect to V2X is essential. The approach to V2X connectivity is technology neutral.
- Continuous Safety Assurance approach. Developing an approach for a continuous safety validation methodology, to monitor the safety state of deployed CCAM systems in operation (real traffic) during its service life, following type approval. Performance metrics for the reliability of the monitored data, including cyber-security aspects, and indicators for the safety state should be proposed. Also needed is the development of requirements for the monitoring system for use in future standardisation, regarding the exchange of data and safety performance indicators with service organisations and authorities.
- Validating the virtual approach. Developing tools that ensure the relevant degree of detail and the appropriate representation of other road users’ behaviour (incl. Vulnerable Road Users such as pedestrians and/or bicyclists) in virtual scenario-based testing. This includes methods to deal with perception, localisation, and world modelling errors in the validation procedures.
- Human Machine Interaction. Developing a safety assurance methodology that incorporates the assessment of Human Machine Interaction (both driver-vehicle and vehicle-road user) concepts for higher levels of automation (conformity checks as well as test set-ups with suitable metrics) ensuring safe communication between driver and vehicle and between vehicle and other road users, making Human Machine Interaction inclusive (i.e. in terms of age, mental and physical ability, cultural aspects, etc.).
Proposed actions are expected to develop recommendations for harmonisation and standardisation and to feed into on-going discussions regarding EU type vehicle approval rules as well as in the framework of the UNECE.
Actions should be based on the outcomes of previous methodologies developed in HEADSTART, as well as research funded under HORIZON-CL5-2021-D6-01-02.
Upcoming CCAM projects, in particular in the area of large-scale demonstrations, validation, digital infrastructure and key enabling technologies should be taken into account to ensure compatibility.
Links should be established with the Mobility Data Space initiatives from Digital Europe, federated data infrastructure projects (Gaia-X, International Data Spaces, Big Data Value - BDV).
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged, in particular with Japan and the United States but also with other relevant strategic partners in third countries.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on ‘Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility’ (CCAM). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on results to the European Partnership ‘Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility’ (CCAM) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.
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Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Safe scaling up of the deployment of CCAM systems for all levels of automation, including systems that for part of the driving phases rely on human-machine interaction.
- Assurance of vehicle safety despite system changes, e.g., due to software updates and data exchanges between vehicles and the infrastructure.
- Facilitating the introduction of fast developing technological innovations in the CCAM system’s functionality, such as AI.
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
other eligibility criteria
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5 by the end of the project.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 5, Destination 6HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 5, Destination 6(747kB)
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