The automotive industry faces tremendous challenges in addressing decarbonization through electrification, developing future solutions for inclusive, safe and affordable mobility. Many of these changes require a radical re-thinking of existing development processes, with the share of software in modern mobility solutions continuously increasing. The rising importance of the software layer results in the so-called software-defined vehicle (SDV). Automotive software will be developed and adapted in continuous cycles. Therefore an abstraction from the underlying hardware needs to be implemented. As a result, the automotive industry is transitioning to an agile software development process. The dramatic increase of software and complexity, along with the advances of international competition in this domain, calls for an approach, in which non-differentiating software is developed jointly as open source. To address these challenges, the EU, together with industry, governments, and research institutions, have launched the European SDV Ecosystem. To turn this into reality, this proposal outlines the vision and activities for a Coordination and Support Action. FEDERATE (Software-Defined Vehicle Support and Coordination Project) aims to bring together all relevant stakeholders to accelerate the development of an SDV Ecosystem, to foster a vibrant European community and orchestrate the SDV R&D&I activities. The consortium of FEDERATE is formed by major European OEMs, automotive tiers, semiconductor companies, relevant industry associations and industrial SDV initiatives, including the Eclipse SDV WG, and supported by a scientific board. FEDERATE will work towards a common understanding on the vision of the SDV program and create an orchestrated advice for current and future projects in the SDV program. In addition, recommendations for future calls are prepared in alignment with a Roadmap and Joint Vision Document for accelerated SDV R&D&I, created as part of the CSA

Safe4RAIL-2 and its activities will be based on the development of four technological pillars aimed at improving the capabilities of the TCMS: (1) Integration of the Drive-by-Data (DbD) concept in the train network, i.e. Ethernet Train Backbone Nodes (ETBN), Car Switches and End Devices, using Time-Sensitive Network (TSN) technology for adding determinism to TCMS communications. (2) Development of LTE devices suitable for the deployment of a Wireless Train Backbone (WLTB), along with analyses including wireless consist communications, virtual coupling and 5G technology. (3) Integration of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) functionality on top of an Integrated Modular Platform (IMP) made up of a Functional Distribution Framework (FDF) platform and a Drive-by-Data communication layer, taking advantage of the expertise obtained from automotive industry specialized on AUTOSAR. (4) Integration of HVAC functionality in a virtual certification simulation environment including remote Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) tests. All these technological developments will be further validated in two laboratory demonstrators that will be set up by the Shift2Rail CFM project (S2R-CFM-IP1-02-2018), and will also contribute to standardization in both railway and wireless domains. These results will increase the flexibility and reliability of the TCMS communications, reduce development and maintenance costs, and achieve novel train functionalities, paying special attention to manufacturer interoperability and the availability of multiple sources. The consortium consists of 9 partners with specific industrial profiles and expertise in key technologies from six European countries, including 7 industrial partners (SMEs and large companies), 1 research institution and 1 academic partner. Such an industry-oriented consortium has been considered crucial to bring the selected technologies to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) up to TRL-5.

Safe4RAIL-3 and its activities will be based on the development of three technological pillars aimed at advancing the maturity of the technologies and devices for the next generation for Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS), in order to pass from prototypes level to TRL 6/7: (1) Development of the Drive-by-Data (DbD) devices in the train network, i.e. Ethernet Train Backbone Nodes, Car Switches and End Devices, using Time-Sensitive Network technology for adding determinism to TCMS communications.(2) Development of high TRL wireless devices and antennas that are suitable for Wireless TCMS (WLTB and WLCN domains), along with analysis of antenna installation based on ray-tracing simulations and on-site validations to identify the most optimal antenna locations and radiation patterns in the different wireless TCMS domains (3) Integration of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning functionality on top of a Functional Distribution Framework platform and a DbD communication layer, taking advantage of the expertise obtained from automotive industry specialized on AUTOSAR. Safety and Security assessments for these technological developments will be analyzed and studied based on the upcoming standardization. All these technological developments will be further validated in two real demonstrators that will be set up by the Shift2Rail CFM project and will also contribute to standardization. These results will increase the flexibility and reliability of the TCMS communications, reduce development and maintenance costs, and achieve novel train functionalities, paying special attention to manufacturer interoperability and the availability of multiple sources. The consortium consists of 10 partners with specific industrial profiles and expertise in key technologies from 7 European countries, including 8 industrial partners, 2 academic partners. Such an industry-oriented consortium has been considered crucial to bring the selected technologies to higher TRL up to TRL-7.

The HAL4SDV proposal aligns with the EU Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2022 on Electronic Components and Systems. It aims to pioneer methods, technologies, and processes for series vehicle development beyond 2030, driven by anticipated advancements in microelectronics, communication technology, software engineering, and AI. HAL4SDV envisions a future where vehicles are fully integrated into smart cities, intelligent highways, and cyberspace, blurring the lines between inside and outside the vehicle. Assumptions include data-centricity, code portability, efficient data fusion, unlimited scalability, real-time capabilities, and robust cybersecurity. The objectives encompass unifying software interfaces, creating a hardware abstraction framework, enabling Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, designing platform architectures, ensuring hardware abstraction and virtualization, offering hardware support, automating integration, supporting safety features, harnessing edge computing, implementing security measures, and providing essential development tools. By focusing on these objectives, HAL4SDV aims to establish a unified ecosystem for software-defined vehicles, positioning Europe's automotive industry for continued leadership post-2030 while leveraging existing results and technologies to accelerate progress.