L-R: François Bausch; Anke Rehlinger, Saarland Minister of Economy, Labour, Energy and Transport; Elisabeth Borne, French Minister for Transport; Andreas Scheuer, German Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure; Etienne Schneider;
Credit: Luxinnovation
Luxembourg, Germany and France yesterday tested digitised mobility on the first European cross-border experimental site in Schengen.
As part of the deployment of connected and digitised mobility in the EU, a cross-border experimental site has been set up between Luxembourg, Germany and France. Considered as a flagship project in the heart of Europe to promote the mobility of the future, the site reflects the common desire of the three countries to allow industry, research and science to carry out the experimentation of innovative technologies on a large scale in a real and cross-border context on all road categories. Unique in its kind, the site covers the road network of the regions of southern Luxembourg, the north of the Grand-Est Region in France and the Land of Saarland in Germany.
The "Cross-Border Digital Testbed Project Day" took place on Wednesday 3 April 2019 in Schengen, chosen for its unique position in the Three Borders Region. The event saw, in the presence of the German, French and Luxembourg ministers, the first demonstrations on the cross-border experimental site. In order to validate the safety of the technologies used, real-life cases were conducted on part of the route reproducing autonomous driving situations as well as border crossings during which the vehicles remained connected with their environment.
Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider said: "In Europe, Luxembourg already occupies a strategic position in the automotive components industry with several well-known R & D centers. We also want to be a land of autonomous vehicle experimentation and become a country at the forefront of cooperative, connected and automated cross-border driving technologies.".
For his part, François Bausch, Luxembourg Minister of Mobility and Public Works Luxembourg, added: "Digitisation and automation of transport can in the future help to reduce emissions, reduce congestion or offer new forms of on-demand transport. [...] For all these reasons, Luxembourg is working together with France and Germany to implement a framework to test and refine these new technologies. "
