On June 13th, 2024, the AWARD Final Conference titled “Revolutionizing Logistics: A European Conference on Automation in Logistics” took place at Comet Meetings – Louise in Brussels, marking a significant milestone in the field of autonomous logistics. This event gathered over 100 attendees, including industry professionals, researchers, and policymakers, to discuss advancements and future directions in autonomous vehicle technology. 

The conference was kicked off with an enlightening introduction by Pablo Perez-Illana from CINEA, providing an overview of EU-funded projects focused on CCAM and logistics. Arwed Schmidt of EasyMile followed, delving into the contributions and key outcomes of the AWARD project, and discussing the challenges and future recommendations for 2025-2030. Sessions throughout the day covered topics such as innovative use cases in road transport automation, the integration of automation in logistics nodes, and the impact of business models on the deployment of automated vehicles in logistics. Highlights included discussions on the regulatory landscape and future research needs, which set the stage for a deeper exploration of how to sustain Europe’s competitive edge in autonomous transport technologies.

Insightful Sessions Unveiled:

• Road Transport Automation Innovative Use Cases and Scalability: Moderated by Ragnhild Wahl, with speakers Camille Lubon, Lone-Eirin Lervåg, Mehdi Akbarian, and Richard Van Kleef, this session explored pioneering demonstrations from AWARD, MODI, STARGATE, and ePIcenter. It emphasized collaborative efforts to tackle scalability and adoption challenges in automation.
• Road automation integration in logistics nodes and multimodal operations: Giuseppe Luppino moderated, with insights from Andreas Gavrielides, Tammo Märtens, and Ioanna Fergadiotou. This session highlighted the integration of automated transport within logistics and multimodal operations, discussing integration challenges and collaborative solutions.
• Business Models and applications of automated vehicles in logistics: Presented by Ted Zotos from IRU, focusing on innovative business models emerging from the deployment of automated vehicles, enhancing logistics operations’ efficiency and scalability.
• Applications of automation in logistics operations: Moderated by Ted Zotos, with panelists Benedikt Sperling, Mads Bentzen Billesø, and Elisah van Kempen. The panel discussed the practical implications of automation in logistics, emphasizing real-world applications and the benefits of autonomous vehicles.
• Regulation and the Future: An Open Conversation: Maria Cristina Galassi moderated a discussion with Nathalie Teer, Espedito Rusciano, and Florence Gallay, focusing on the regulatory landscape and the implementation of EU regulations, exploring future directions and additional use cases for automated vehicles.
• Adjusted Horizons: Future Research needs: Moderated by Guido Di Pasquale with speakers Arwed Schmidt, Elisah van Kempen, Mehdi Akbarian, and Mads Bentzen Billesø, this session addressed future research priorities and strategies to advance autonomous transport solutions, aiming for large-scale operational deployment.

Our colleague, Andreas Gavrielides from IMEC, represented our project at the Final Conference, and participated in the panel discussion “Road automation integration in logistics nodes and multimodal operations“.

The conference concluded with a powerful statement from the project officer, Sergio Escriba (CINEA), emphasizing that the end of the conference marked not a conclusion, but a kick-off for continued innovation and collaboration. Afterwards, Andrea De Candido (DG RTD – EC) , Fernando Liesa (ALICE) and Nathalie Teer (EasyMile) closed with a speech.

The roll-up exhibition provided a dynamic space for interacting with other researchers and EU-funded projects, exploring synergies, and discussing future collaboration opportunities. The sentiment that “AWARD was a pioneer project not just about technology but toward creating a framework for applications” resonated with many, underscoring the long road ahead and the collaborative efforts required to traverse it.

The Conference Agenda, speakers, and moderators can be found in the link here: https://award-h2020.eu/index.php/award-2nd-final-conference-2024/