‘VARIATIONS ON A THEME’: LAUNCHING THE SPANISH THEMATIC NETWORK ON INTELLIGENT VEHICLES (RETEVI)

C-ITS cooperative systems can be rightfully considered as catalysts in the current boom connected to the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles. In addition, C-ITS should not be regarded as independent, unconnected actions, as they add perception and decision elements supported by communications leading us to cooperative autonomous driving.

With the above in mind, a Thematic Network on Intelligent Vehicles (RETEVI) has been launched with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. This national network is led by the University Institute for Automobile Research (INSIA) of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) and regroups a large set of research groups active in the transport systems and intelligent vehicles.

This article is entitled ‘Variations on a theme‘ and was published in Thinking Highways – Issue 2, 2016 (Europe and Rest of the World). The authors, Felipe Jiménez, José Manuel Menéndez and José F. Papí, review the objectives of this Network, which include the promotion of research and innovation not only in vehicles, but also in infrastructures.