The automotive sector is standing out as one of the most influential parts of the ICT ecosystem here in Oulu, one of the most technology-driven cities in Finland. As was also highlighted many times before as well, especially automotive sector is rapidly evolving, while focusing strongly on digitalization, sustainable solutions, and smart mobility. Autonomy and heavy-duty mobility also play a major role in the rapid evolution of the automotive sector.
With the light of these insights, as BusinessOulu, we initiated research and an action plan where a comprehensive European analysis was taken place to identify the best collaboration opportunities and strategic direction. The study was conducted by BearingPoint during the Spring 2025 and finalized toward the end of the Summer 2025, offering valuable market intelligence to support the business development and international activities of the companies in the Oulu Automative Cluster. This blog article in created based on that work.
In this blog article, we explore key opportunities in autonomy and heavy-duty vehicle markets. You’ll learn about Europe’s leading hubs and regions, strategic networks, and practical recommendations to help companies expand partnerships, access testing environments, and accelerate innovation.
Key Channels for Expanding Your International Presence
As the research highlights emerging opportunities across Europe’s technology hubs, clusters, events, and projects, it also identifies the key channels through which companies in the Oulu region can strengthen their international visibility, partnerships, and market access.
The analysis points to five core channels that automotive and mobility companies can leverage when exploring new markets or seeking international collaboration:
1. Clusters act as gateways in the local ecosystems. For companies, they offer direct access to long-term, institutional relationships with regional networks, including industry players, research organizations, and public-sector stakeholders.
Examples:
- Commercial Vehicle Cluster (Kaiserslautern, DE)
- West Sweden HDV Cluster (Gothenburg, SE)
2. Technology Hubs provide quick access to advanced R&D resources, testing environments, and domain expertise. They enable companies to explore new solutions and validate technologies in real-life environments.
Examples:
- Brainport HDV Innovation Hub & Automotive Campus (Eindhoven–Helmond, NL)
- ARENA2036 (Stuttgart, DE)
3. Industry events serve as high intensity contact points, giving companies a concentrated view of market trends while enabling efficient networking, partner discovery, and customer engagement.
Examples:
- IAA Transportation (Hannover, DE)
- ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Expo (Stuttgart, DE)
4. EU and cross-border projects offer opportunities to influence future standards, regulations, and technological directions. Participating in these projects helps companies shape the market while gaining visibility and access to strategic partnerships.
Examples:
- MODI (NL–Norway corridor), focusing on autonomous logistics and cross-border HDV testing
5. Networks and umbrella organizations are a simply coordinating bodies that provide broad access to information, increased visibility, and wider reach across European industry communities, especially valuable for staying ahead of regulatory and technological developments.
Examples:
- ITS Network and EACN Network
By understanding and utilizing these channels, OAC companies can access new markets, strengthen their innovation capabilities, and build meaningful partnerships across Europe. From here, the research moves on to examine Europe’s key players in autonomy and heavy-duty vehicles (HDV), providing a clearer view of where the strongest opportunities lie.
Europe’s Key Players in Autonomy and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
For companies in the automotive and mobility sector, certain European countries stand out as strategic hubs for collaboration, testing, and innovation in autonomy and HDV. This compact information can be very useful for the automotive companies in OAC especially.
Germany- Advanced R&D and Industrial Ecosystems
- Major industrial cities such as Stuttgart, Munich, and Hamburg host leading hubs for autonomous and HDV technologies.
- Research and testing areas (e.g., Kaiserslautern, A2-megawatt charging project) offer opportunities for piloting new solutions.
- Germany’s ecosystem is strong both quantitively and qualitatively, making it ideal for partnerships and large-scale projects.
The Netherlands- Innovation in Battery Technology and Logistics
- The Brainport Eindhoven-Helmond region excels in battery innovation and logistics solutions.
- Companies can access cutting-edge technologies and collaborate with active networks of industrial and research partners.
Sweden- HDV Automation and Electrification
- Gothenburg and Stockholm/Södertälje are hotspots for HDV automation and electrification.
- Focus areas include 5G-enabled logistics and Level 4 autonomous vehicle testing, offering companies early exposure to emerging technologies.
Austria- Strong Testing and Cross-Border Collaboration
- Graz and the Digitrans Test Track provide excellent environments for testing and validation.
- Austria also plays a significant role EU cross-border projects, useful for companies looking to influence sector standards.
By understanding these hubs and their strengths, businesses in Oulu can identify strategic partners, access testing environments, and participate in projects that shape the future of autonomous and heavy-duty mobility in Europe.
Where the Big Ecosystems Are: Hubs & Regions
The research highlights that cities in Western and Central Europe are key competence hubs for heavy-duty traffic and autonomous solutions. For companies in the automotive and mobility sector, these regions offer opportunities for R&D collaboration, technology testing, and international partnerships.
Locations of the sites on the map
As the research reveals on the above map, the key cities and regions for the big ecosystems in Europe were summarized as follows:
Eindhoven–Helmond, The Netherlands
Brainport HDV Innovation Hub: Expertise in battery technology, HSV innovation, and international platooning collaborations.
Stuttgart, Germany
Europe’s major hub for HDV and autonomous solutions, home to Daimler Trucks, CVC Südwest, and multiple V2X, platooning, and electrification projects.
Munich, Germany
MAN Truck & Bus headquarters, A9 test areas, and research initiatives in automation and battery technologies.
Hanover, Germany
IAA Transportation 2026: Europe’s largest commercial vehicle event and a central networking platform for industry players.
Gothenburg, Sweden
5G-enabled logistics test area, development of autonomous trucks, and the home base of the Volvo Group.
Stockholm/Södertälje, Sweden
Scania & KTH Smart Transport Hub: gate-to-gate automation testing and advanced HDV research.
Lyon, France
CARA Truck & Bus Cluster: Focus on urban logistics and low-emission solutions testing.
Graz, Austria
AVL and ALP.Lab collaboration: Hydrogen and electric powertrain research, with testing in the Austrian Alpine region.
Tampere, Finland
Hub for smart working machinery R&D and technology pilot projects.
These cities and regions represent Europe’s most innovation-intensive ecosystems. OAC companies can leverage these hubs to engage in cross-border collaboration, access advanced technology partners, and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving autonomy and HDV markets.
Unlocking Opportunities Through Cross-Border Collaboration
Cross-border collaboration opens doors for companies to access shared research, innovation networks, and advanced testing environments across Europe. Engaging these initiatives allows businesses to explore new technologies, expand partnerships, and accelerate development in autonomy and heavy-duty vehicles. The map below highlights key inter-country zones and their opportunities.
1. Central European Zone (Germany – Austria – Northern France):
- Recognized as the industrial core for HDV development.
- Dense network of research centers, OEMs, and logistics hubs offering strong opportunities for partnerships and pilot projects.
2. Southern European Innovation Nodes (Spain – Portugal – Italy):
- Lower average scores compared to Central Europe but offer excellent pilot areas and innovative logistics solutions for testing and validation.
3. Border Zones and Multinational Projects (Belgium-Netherlands; Netherlands-Norway; Belgium-Netherlands-Sweden; Luxembourg-France-Germany):
- Highlighted for cross-border testing and cooperation.
- Significant opportunities for companies to join EU projects and multinational initiatives such as MODI, REVIVE, WaterstofNet, and 5GCroCo.
4. Nordic Cooperation Axis (Sweden – Finland – Norway – Denmark):
- Long-standing collaboration history, including projects adapted to arctic conditions.
- Examples include NordicWay initiatives and the NUVE platform.
- Finland plays a key role in autonomous and smart working machinery development (e.g., SIX, FIMA), offering regional companies unique opportunities to engage in cutting-edge projects.
Key Networks for Business Collaboration
Two European networks stand out as strategic platforms for companies in the automotive and mobility sectors: ITS Network and EACN Network. Both provide opportunities for partnerships, knowledge exchange, and international visibility.
ITS Network
Established in 2004, the ITS Network connects with 29 European organizations representing over 2,000 members.
Opportunities for businesses:
- Smart Mobility: Access to innovations improving safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
- Knowledge Sharing: Connect with local and national actors across Europe.
- Policy & Technology: Influence EU-level initiatives and adopt solutions like Next Generation eCall.
The Nordic+ branch strengthens regional collaboration, enabling companies to engage with Finland’s ITS ecosystem and key industry actors.
EACN (European Automotive Cluster Network)
Founded in 2017, EACN links over 30 clusters from 17 countries, representing ~5,000 organizations.
Opportunities for businesses:
- Inter-cluster collaboration and EU project partnerships.
- Networking events, working groups, and partner matchmaking to share best practices.
- Support for connected, autonomous, shared, and electrified (CASE) mobility initiatives.
Companies can leverage EACN to connect with clusters working on similar technologies and markets, expanding business development, and international cooperation.
Closing Insights and Recommendations for OAC Companies
The European HDV and autonomy landscape is shifting quickly, creating new openings for collaboration, testing, and market expansion. For companies in growth mode, understanding where activity is accelerating (and how to tap into it) will be essential for making informed strategic decisions.
Key Recommendations for Businesses:
- Engage with leading European hubs: Regions such as Eindhoven–Helmond (NL), Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg (DE), and Gothenburg (SE) offer access to testing environments, R&D, and industrial networks.
- Participate in events and networks: Attend industry events like IAA Transportation and ADAS Expo and explore collaboration via ITS Network and EACN to expand visibility and connections.
- Collaborate on joint R&D projects: Focus on autonomy, HDV electrification, and smart mobility initiatives to leverage shared innovation and shape emerging standards.
For companies seeking concrete inspiration on innovation in automotive technologies, the University of Oulu’s new testbed offers a compelling example. The test environment uses Unreal Engine to visualize vehicle data in real time by leveraging the open-data model Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS). This setup allows firms to stimulate in-car systems (from software features to full vehicle configurations) without the need for physical vehicles. Such a flexible, cost-efficient, and safe testing environment can significantly accelerate development, validation, and scaling of intelligent mobility and autonomy solutions. To learn more about this testing environment, you can read the article here.
By strategically leveraging European hubs, networks, and collaborative projects, companies in the Oulu region can strengthen their international presence, accelerate innovation, and remain competitive in the rapidly advancing automotive sector.
For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, contact us at ICTOulu. We are happy to support your initiative and connect you with relevant partners and networks.
Written by Rana Toro