European Fifth Framework Project Awards Expected to Emerge Soon
IV Quarterly
October 1999

The European Community's newest multi-million-Euro ITS research program is now heading down the road with several large consortia leading the way.

While only minimal information was available as of press time, it appears that the European Commission (EC) has made some selections in their research program under the Fifth Framework (5FW) initiative for intelligent vehicle R&D.  Initial proposals were due in June.

The “framework” programs are the means by which the EC funds R&D across the full range of societal and scientific topics important to Europeans, based on funding from member countries.  The Fourth Framework program ran from 1994-1998 and supported substantial activity in ITS/IVI.  5FW began in 1999 and runs through 2003.

5FW is segmented in to several thematic areas; Theme 3(Promoting Competitive and Sustainable Growth) encompasses Intelligent Vehicle research.  Theme 3 is funded at 2705M Euro (approx. US$2.875M), with the relevant sub-component for this research (called “Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality”) funded at 371M Euro (approx. US$3.9).

“A number of very interesting proposals in the domain of Intelligent Vehicles are being negotiated,” says Eduardo Barreto of the European Commission.  Unofficial sources indicate that a consortium consisting of INRIA (French National Institute for Research in Information and Automation), INRETS (French National  Institute for Research in Transportation and Safety), LCPC (French Laboratory for Roads and Bridges), Renault, Fiat, BMW, Thomson CSF, Autocruise, Lucas-Varity, IBEO and Jena Optics (Daimler) has been selected for a large research program (3.6M Euros/US$3.8M) concerning sensor fusion for automated driving at low speed (stop and go). The program is expected to begin in January 2000 and run for 3 years.

Another program likely to be financed through this call is Chauffeur II, extending the work done in the original CHAUFFEUR program to develop electronic tow-bar techniques to support heavy truck platooning)   Funding will be in the range of 4M Euro, with the consortium adding Renault Vehicle Industriale to its existing partnership, led by DaimlerChrysler.

Siemens and DaimlerChrysler are leading the Radar-Net consortium, which is also expected to be funded to develop a multi-antenna high performance vehicle radar system.  All of these projects are said to be currently under negotiation with the EC.

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For More Information ...

... use the EC website to track developments, at www.cordis.lu/fp5/src/programmes.htm.

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