Summary of the AITHENA 3rd Practitioners’ Workshop

AIthena Practitioners’ Workshop – “How Can AI Revolutionise Road Transport?” Date: 15 May 2025. Location: EUCAD 2025, Joint Research Centre (JRC) – Ispra.

The third AIthena practitioners’ workshop was held in a hybrid format during the EUCAD 2025 conference at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra on 15 May 2025. Centred around the question “How can AI revolutionise road transport?”, the session brought together experts and stakeholders to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence in the mobility sector. The workshop addressed both the opportunities and challenges of deploying AI in road transport and sought to define concrete strategies for integrating human-centric, trustworthy AI into connected, cooperative and automated mobility (CCAM) systems.

Participants

The workshop attracted a diverse and multidisciplinary audience, both in-person and online, including representatives from academia, industry, public authorities and regulatory institutions. Participants shared a common commitment to advancing safe, ethical and effective AI solutions in the rapidly evolving domain of CCAM.

Presentations

The session opened with a comprehensive presentation of the AIthena project’s objectives and scope, focusing on the development of trustworthy, explainable and accountable AI systems tailored for CCAM applications. The speakers highlighted AIthena’s interdisciplinary framework, which integrates:

  • Advanced perception technologies, enabling robust environmental understanding for autonomous systems.
  • Ethical AI governance models, ensuring alignment with fundamental rights, societal values and EU regulations.
  • Simulation-based validation tools, providing virtual environments to rigorously test AI performance in safety-critical scenarios.

A significant part of the presentations was devoted to real-world use cases demonstrating the applicability of AIthena technologies across multiple domains:

  • Freight and logistics: showcased how AI-driven algorithms improve route optimisation, real-time fleet coordination and predictive cargo management, leading to enhanced operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
  • Passenger mobility services: AI-enabled perception systems for detecting and responding to complex traffic situations, as well as decision-making algorithms that prioritise safety and comfort in autonomous vehicles.
  • Urban mobility ecosystems: examples included the use of AI for real-time traffic signal control, multimodal transport planning and dynamic public transport coordination, all designed with a user-centric and inclusive approach.

Throughout the presentations, a recurring theme was the embedding of core ethical principles, such as transparency, privacy-by-design and societal acceptability, into every stage of the AI lifecycle.

Interactive breakout sessions

During the workshop two interactive breakout sessions were held, which enabled participants to engage in peer-to-peer dialogue and collaborative problem-solving.

Key discussion areas included:

  • Pathways for AI adoption in road transport, tracing the journey from early-stage R&D to real-world deployment. Participants debated the necessary policy incentives, pilot projects and public-private partnerships to scale up AI solutions effectively.
  • Barriers to implementation, such as fragmented regulatory landscapes, insufficient interoperability between AI systems and gaps in workforce skills. Actionable measures were proposed, such as including harmonised standards, cross-border testbeds and targeted training programmes.
  • Simulation and validation methodologies, with a spotlight on AIthena’s virtual testing platforms. Discussions explored how these environments can support scenario-based safety assessments, improve explainability and build public trust in AI-powered mobility.

The sessions allowed participants to exchange practical insights, reflect on lessons from ongoing deployments and identify priority areas for future research and innovation.

Conclusion

The workshop concluded by reaffirming the strategic importance of cross-sector collaboration in driving AI innovation that aligns with Europe’s vision for sustainable, inclusive and safe mobility systems. Participants were encouraged to stay engaged with AIthena’s research and demonstration activities and to contribute to the growing community shaping the future of responsible AI in transport.

The event highlighted AIthena’s central role as both a technology enabler and policy facilitator, reinforcing its contribution to making AI not only smarter, but also more accountable, transparent and trustworthy, a critical foundation for public acceptance and large-scale deployment of CCAM solutions across Europe.

Photos @ AIthena Project