Next-Generation Mobility: Four Horizon Europe 2026 CCAM Calls You Can’t Miss

18th September 2025 at 2:32 pm

As connected and automated mobility accelerates across Europe, Horizon Europe Cluster 5 continues to push boundaries with four strategic 2026 call topics under the co-programmed Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) Partnership (Table 1). These topics address real-world CCAM challenges, such as enabling safer and more efficient perception systems, integrating data-driven human behaviour models into validation pipelines, deploying Edge AI solutions at vehicle level, and building a federated European data exchange infrastructure. All four topics are tightly linked to the CCAM Partnership’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, which reflect the EU’s drive to develop trustworthy, human-centric and regulation-aligned automated mobility. International cooperation, especially with Japan and the US is strongly encouraged and all projects are expected to apply the European Common Evaluation Methodology (EU-CEM) for CCAM. The deadline to submit a proposal to any of these call topics is set to 20 January 2026.

Table 1: Summary of the four 2026 CCAM call topics.

Safe, Resilient Transport and Smart Mobility services for passengers and goods

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-03: Next-generation environment perception

This call focuses on developing validated perception systems for CCAM operations, addressing complex environments like pedestrian crossings and construction zones. Proposals should improve safety by combining vehicle- and infrastructure-based systems using edge AI, with a focus on energy efficiency, scalability and circularity. Integration of open software and hardware platforms is key to ensuring trust and reducing environmental impact.

Pro tip: Do not just describe the performance of your perception system but also demonstrate how it reduces risks and resource consumption. Review Software-Defined Vehicle of the Future (SDVoF) outputs and embed energy and material circularity Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the start. This approach adds credibility and meets growing EU expectations on eco-designed digital mobility solutions.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-04: Integration of human driving behaviour in validation

This topic calls for human behavioural models that represent a wide range of driving behaviours in mixed traffic. These models should be used for virtual safety validation and system design, helping CCAM systems act predictably and safely in interactions with human-driven vehicles. Proposals should include diverse real-world scenarios, considering factors such as gender, age and infrastructure.

Pro trip: Strengthen your proposal by embedding social science insights in both model development and validation design. Evaluators will look for approaches that reflect real human behaviour, not just idealised assumptions. Highlight how your models capture uncertainty, demographic diversity and situational awareness.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-05: Edge-AI building blocks

Proposals under this topic should develop AI algorithms tailored for edge devices to ensure real-time data processing in CCAM systems. The goal is to reduce power consumption while maintaining performance. Applicants must focus on optimising AI models for applications such as perception, decision-making and actuation, and ensure their resilience and compliance with GDPR and the AI Act.

Pro tip: Make your proposal stand out by showing how your Edge-AI solution is both technically efficient and deployment-ready. Highlight how you will handle model updates at scale, maintain resilience in real-world use, and align with regulatory demands.

HORIZON-CL5-2026-01-D6-06: Federated CCAM data exchange platform

This call aims to create a federated data exchange platform for CCAM stakeholders, facilitating data sharing for testing, validation and regulatory monitoring. Proposals should integrate existing data spaces, ensure interoperability and define governance structures for long-term sustainability. The platform must support applications like digital twins, AI model training, and performance assessment.

Pro tip: Go beyond platform architecture. Evaluators will want to see how your data exchange platform supports real use cases, like scenario generation or AI training, and who will use it after the project ends. Define concrete user journeys, governance roles and sustainability milestones early in your proposal.

Unlock Your Horizon Europe CCAM Proposal Success with accelopment

We at accelopment have extensive experience supporting Horizon Europe proposals in the field of CCAM, including the preparation and implementation of the ongoing ROADVIEW project. With many years of proposal writing experience and in-depth knowledge of CCAM Partnership requirements, we can support you throughout your application process and during the implementation of your funded project. Have a look at our Proposal Writing, Project Management and Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation services and contact our CCAM experts to discuss how we can best support you with your proposal and ambitions for the 2026 CCAM calls. You can also subscribe to our blog posts and stay updated about the latest developments, trends, and results.

Dr. Johannes Ripperger
Research & Innovation Manager

Andreia Cruz
Research & Innovation Project Manager