Europe's regulatory and investment environment for autonomous systems is one of the most active in the world and one of the most important for determining how quickly new capabilities move from development to operational use. This elevated track brings together policy makers, regulators, investors, defense procurement officials, and industry executives to address the strategic frameworks shaping the European autonomous systems market. From U-space implementation and EASA BVLOS certification to the European Defense Industrial Strategy, European Defense Fund and NATO DIANA funding mechanisms, dual-use venture capital, and the implications of the EU AI Act, Track 5 is the Programme's primary home for the conversations that determine what gets built, how it gets funded, and who buys it.
New for 2027, the track adds dedicated programming on investment readiness, startup-to-procurement pathways, ESG frameworks and the EU Green Deal's implications for autonomous systems markets, as well as dedicated programming on the CCAM Partnership and Horizon Europe automated mobility funding programs, EU and national automated driving regulation and type approval frameworks and UNECE WP.29 international harmonisation for automated vehicles.
Keywords:Policy and regulations, technical standards, security standards, certification, demonstrations, ground risks, test sites, insurance and liability, trust, transparency, U-space regulation, EASA BVLOS, EU AI Act, dual-use regulation, European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), NATO standards, allied AI principles, international regulatory harmonisation, EDF funding, NATO DIANA, dual-use venture capital, startup-to-procurement, SME access to defence procurement, industrial base scaling, economic impact, investment readiness, dual-use commercialisation, regulatory sandboxes, ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) frameworks, EU Green Deal, national defence policy frameworks, Zeitenwende (Germany's declared strategic turning point in defence policy, 2022), CCAM Partnership, Horizon Europe automated mobility, EU automated driving regulation, AFGBV, UNECE WP.29, automated vehicle type approval
