Autonomous mobility needs more than technology.

• Individual mobility, public transport and logistics
• Global market situation
• Regulatory framework for assistance and automation systems
• State of autonomous vehicle activities in Germany

The mobility of tomorrow is connected and autonomous. We need to redesign our cities and infrastructure and rethink the way we plan our routes.

This presentation examines the evolution of mobility. Starting from the socio-political challenges, it outlines technological solution approaches and offers a perspective on what lies ahead.

It’s a recurring narrative: the European market is difficult for robotaxis – primarily due to fragmented regulations on autonomous driving, unlike the US, China or Abu Dhabi. But is that actually true? Could robotaxis with an EU type approval operate across all member states? What is possible with an EU type approval in Europe – and what isn’t? Questions worth exploring include:

• Dual Mode: What benefits and business models does the dual-mode framework of EU type approval offer?
• Scaling: To what extent would an EU type approval for autonomous driving apply to only a limited number of vehicles?
• Testing: Can an EU type approval be obtained for autonomous driving tests?
• Local operational permit: Beyond EU type approval, are additional national or local permits required to deploy or test autonomous vehicles?

• Brief introduction to the ALIKE project
• Brief introduction to 3plus3 and how the two projects build on each other
• Outlook: business case and scaling of the Hamburger Hochbahn

• Where does autonomous driving in Berlin stand today?
• What are the next steps?
• What do we have to do to make autonomous driving a reality in Germany?

• Where do our national regulatory approaches stand within the European and international landscape?
• How can we address the differing regulatory requirements across various mobility services in passenger and freight transport?
• What benefits can we gain from cooperation at the European and international level?
• How can we continue to collaborate internationally in the current geopolitical environment?

Four years after the autonomous driving law came into force, the approval of autonomous vehicles according to a "European value canon" — encompassing data protection and vehicle safety — remains a significant hurdle on the path to widespread adoption. This presentation examines the challenges and opportunities for establishing consistent, traceable, and at the same time rapid and efficient safety evidence in both real and virtual environments, viewed through the lens of metrology.

What stays, what changes? The technological revolution of automated driving will transform existing business models and enable entirely new ones. This presentation focuses on the central dimensions of value proposition, value creation and revenue models, illustrating the potential for change that automated driving brings about.

SUE is a forward-thinking, autonomously driving and road-approved people mover, developed from the ground up to shape the mobility of tomorrow. 100% designed, developed and made in Germany.

Automated driving is impossible without AI systems. The EU AI Act introduces new requirements for these systems. A closer look is needed at how these requirements can be met and how compliance can be demonstrated in the vehicle approval process.

SAKURA project followed PEGASUS to advance scenario-based safety evaluation of ADS (or CCAM) as Japanese governmental funded project and wrapped up in March, 2026. As a result, a safety evaluation framework including comprehensive scenario catalog is published by joint effort with JAMA and scenario database is implemented. Also, some parts of the framework are reflected in UN-R157 and ISO34502. We would also emphasize the importance of further international harmonization to handle new technologies, such as E2E AI.

The legal requirements for programming automated and autonomous driving functions are crucial to the success of the technology. These requirements directly affect both the approval process and the liability of automobile manufacturers. The programming of behavioural rules in particular presents a significant hurdle.

• The technology for automated functions will continue to develop dynamically in the coming years. Autonomous vehicles will shape the mobility of the future.
• Level 4 regulations are an important signal and support the rapid establishment of innovative technologies, functions and services in Germany and across Europe — forming a key building block for the transition to autonomous driving.
• Germany has pioneered Level 4 legislation (AFGBV and StVG); European countries should orient themselves toward this framework and adopt German provisions into their national legislation.
• EU regulations enable the approval of driverless vehicles, but comprehensive national laws governing actual operation on public roads have only been enacted in a handful of countries. Concrete operation in public road traffic remains dependent on national traffic laws and regulatory permits for defined operational areas. Even where legal provisions for approving Level 4 operational areas exist, the application process is burdensome. The heterogeneous, complex procedures at federal state level continue to hinder nationwide scaling in Germany.

The regulation complexity impact on development as well as on the processes. How to keep regulations competitive and manageable?

What works in automotive for autonomous driving can be transferred to rail in many respects – from ODD/scenarios to safety and validation logic. In this presentation, I will show where the parallels end and what it takes to reliably demonstrate AI-based functions in a rail context in the future. The following will be explored:

• How vehicle- and infrastructure-based systems pave the way for driverless rail operations
• Which automotive methods and standards (e.g. SOTIF) are particularly transferable to rail manufacturers
• Where rail differs fundamentally and what is needed for the operation and approval of AI systems

• Key pillars of the German legal framework for autonomous driving – what are "ODD", "operational area" and "technical supervision"?
• Stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities – what tasks and responsibilities do manufacturers, vehicle keepers, technical supervisors, the KBA and operational area approval authorities have?
• The role of the German legal framework against the backdrop of the evolving European regulatory landscape – is the AFGBV losing relevance?