On 12 September 2025, the European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, convened the third Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry in Brussels, bringing together industry leaders, social partners, and stakeholders and reaffirming the urgency to act on the Automotive Action Plan, launched in March 2025.

With technology rapidly transforming mobility and global competition intensifying, the EU is stepping up efforts to secure its leadership in electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles, while ensuring sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience in the European automotive sector.

Commissioners Ekaterina Zaharieva and Apostolos Tzitzikostas signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with stakeholders to accelerate automotive research and innovation, uniting the 2Zero Partnership (zero-emission road transport), CCAM Partnership (Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility), and BATT4EU Partnership (battery innovation) to support Europe’s leadership in sustainable mobility.

Another key outcome of the Strategic Dialogue was the launch of the European Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Alliance (ECAVA). The Alliance will establish a shared industry agenda to promote European-built software, hardware, AI models, and autonomous driving ecosystems.

Transport research and innovation (R&I) is central to Europe’s automotive strategy. The new initiatives strengthen cooperation between public and private actors across key domains:

• Electrification through advanced battery technologies and charging solutions.

• Automation and connectivity via AI-driven mobility, digital platforms, and cooperative systems.

• Zero-emission road transport with innovation ecosystems supporting a modal shift towards sustainable mobility.

These initiatives are closely aligned with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and reinforce the EU’s ambition to become a global leader in sustainable, connected, and automated mobility by 2035 and beyond.