Funded under Horizon Europe (Call: Horizon-CL5-2022-D6-01-04 “Integrate CCAM services in fleet and traffic management systems”), the IN2CCAM project was defined with the mission to accelerate the integration of Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) technologies into real urban environments.

Coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Bari (Italy), IN2CCAM brings together 21 partners from 10 countries to design, implement and validate innovative CCAM services for vehicles, infrastructures, and users, paving the way for safer, smarter, and more sustainable urban mobility.

A three-layer approach: Physical, Digital, and Operational Infrastructures

IN2CCAM’s methodology builds on the interaction of physical, digital, and operational infrastructures to enable seamless CCAM deployment across European cities:

• Physical: Upgraded road infrastructure, including intelligent traffic lights, dynamic dedicated lanes, and roadside sensors.
• Digital: Integration of AI, Digital Twins, and 5G communication within the IN2CCAM extended platform, connecting fleets, control centres, and city data portals.
• Operational: Development of governance and business models to embed CCAM within public transport and urban mobility strategies.

Living Labs: Real-life testing and simulation

Throughout its three-year journey, IN2CCAM explored eight use cases across a wide range of test scenarios, combining real-life demonstrations with advanced simulations.
The project’s six Living Labs offered complementary perspectives: the Lead sites validated CCAM services in real mixed-traffic conditions, while the Follower sites expanded and refined those findings through simulation and digital twin environments.

Tampere Lead Living Lab

In Tampere, IN2CCAM focused on the integration of CCAM fleets into city traffic management systems, particularly for last-mile mobility.
Three use cases were tested: Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) to smooth vehicle flow, Public Transport Vehicle Crossing to ensure safe tram interactions, and AV-detected events to handle parked cars and slippery roads.
The pilots revealed key insights: traffic light data quality and environment suitability must be guaranteed before deployment, while harsh Nordic weather demands sensor and algorithm resilience from AV manufacturers.
Real-life results from IN2CCAM directly inspired local policy change. In June 2025, the Tampere Public Transport Committee approved a new autonomous bus pilot without safety drivers, aiming to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of robot buses as part of public transport.

Trikala Lead Living Lab

The Trikala Living Lab tested connected and automated shuttles operating between the city centre and the university, demonstrating five use cases covering traffic optimisation, safety, and multimodal integration. These included Traffic-based Green Wave, GLOSA, Vulnerable Road User (VRU) detection and warning, and a Journey Planner app linking autonomous shuttles to public transport options.
The results were tangible: 12% fewer stops and up to 18% smoother signal crossings. Passengers reported safer, more comfortable rides, and found the digital journey planner intuitive and convenient. The experiments also highlighted governance and regulatory challenges, securing signal timing approvals, ensuring low latency for safety-critical communication, and balancing speed limits with user comfort as key lessons for scaling up CCAM deployment across Europe.

Turin Lead Living Lab

In Turin, IN2CCAM demonstrated the integration of dynamic rerouting and data-driven traffic management using an autonomous Ohmio shuttle.
The Living Lab explored two use cases: Dynamic Rerouting, which allowed the shuttle to autonomously adjust its route in response to simulated road events, and Parking and Urban Vehicle Access Regulation (UVAR), which informed vehicles about parking availability and restricted zones.
Using real-world data and Digital Twin simulations, the system achieved a 17% reduction in travel time, proving the feasibility of real-time communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and traffic control centres. Technical hurdles, such as overhanging obstacles and initial traffic light desynchronisation, were successfully resolved, showcasing Turin’s readiness for wider CCAM integration.

Vigo Lead Living Lab

Vigo focused on mutual awareness between vehicles, infrastructure, and vulnerable road users, as well as adaptive traffic management strategies.
Demonstrations included traffic light prioritisation, platooning, and dynamic re-routing, supported by simulations to validate system scalability. Two connected automated vehicles (CCAVs) operated in mixed traffic, communicating continuously with the city’s traffic management system to test platoon coordination, priority-based signal extension, and real-time re-routing. Despite urban constraints and environmental challenges, the Vigo Living Lab confirmed the stability of V2X communication and provided valuable lessons on safety, resilience, and operational performance in active city environments.

Bari Follower Living Lab

The Bari Living Lab focused on simulation-based studies to evaluate CCAM applications in passenger transport and urban logistics. For passenger mobility, the team developed and tested an intelligent route planner using Reinforcement Learning to optimise travel time, emissions, and comfort. Scenarios explored individual and carpooling journeys, including trips by passengers with reduced mobility, ensuring inclusivity. Results highlighted the importance of balancing efficiency and comfort while validating routing algorithms with realistic traffic data before real-world deployment.

In parallel, Bari simulated innovative urban freight solutions by creating a virtual network of logistics hubs and delivery robots. Increasing robot capacity from one to three parcels improved system productivity, reducing total travel time and distance. The tests underlined the need for careful integration of automated deliveries within urban environments and the potential of dedicated robot corridors to enhance both safety and efficiency.

Quadrilatero Follower Living Lab

The Quadrilatero Living Lab, encompassing the cities of Barcelos, Braga, Guimarães and Vila Nova de Famalicão, used large-scale traffic simulations to assess the impact of CCAM on congestion, emissions, and public transport integration. Various scenarios were tested, including temporary road closures, curbside parking adjustments, low-emission zones, and adaptive public transport operations. The simulations revealed that while city centres are more sensitive to restrictions, combining such measures with better cycling and transit options leads to smoother traffic flow and reduced emissions.

Strong public support emerged for sustainable mobility policies, with more than 90% of respondents endorsing low-emission zones and a majority prioritising improved traffic efficiency over parking availability. Technically, the Quadrilatero Living Lab demonstrated the scalability of digital twins for urban mobility planning, showing how data-driven simulations can help municipalities make informed decisions and prepare for CCAM deployment across metropolitan regions.

Building trust and readiness for CCAM deployment

IN2CCAM not only demonstrated advanced connected and automated mobility technologies. It also explored the societal, regulatory, and governance conditions needed to bring them into everyday life. Across its six Living Labs, the project gathered valuable insights on user acceptance, business readiness, and policy alignment, setting the foundations for large-scale CCAM deployment.

Through local engagement and online surveys, citizens shared their expectations and concerns about automated mobility. Their feedback made one message clear: safety, connectivity, and transparency are key to building trust. Local authorities and operators collaborated closely to identify infrastructure gaps and opportunities for digital integration. The results showed that technological innovation must go hand in hand with public understanding, and that cooperation between cities, industry, and citizens is vital to success.

The Awareness Events were a highlight of the project, bringing real demonstrations to Tampere, Trikala, Turin, and Vigo, and simulation showcases to Bari and Quadrilatero. These events sparked dialogue between stakeholders and showed how connected and automated mobility can make urban transport safer, cleaner, and more inclusive.

At the policy level, IN2CCAM partners outlined a framework for regulatory and governance alignment. The recommendations call for harmonised approval procedures across Member States, clear rules on liability and data sharing, and coordinated national and local authorities to guide CCAM deployment. Transparent permitting systems, together with innovation-friendly testing zones, will help scale CCAM services from pilots to permanent operations.

The project also proposed flexible business and operating models to ensure sustainability beyond pilot phases. Cities could adopt modular CCAM services tailored to their mobility priorities, supported by hybrid funding mechanisms and strong community engagement. Ultimately, IN2CCAM’s real-life demonstrations and simulations proved that CCAM solutions can improve traffic flow, reduce emissions, and enhance road safety for all users. As the project concludes in October 2025, it leaves a roadmap towards a trusted, inclusive, and sustainable mobility future.