-Increased automation of vehicles will increase road safety
Korea-Europe Future Automotive Forum served as a
stepping-stone for a bridge to consolidate confidence about the
future and its technology among experts between Korea &
EU. The Korea-Europe Future Automotive Forum, organised by the European
Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) took place at the
Conrad Hotel in Seoul on March 28th last week.
This event has become an occasion to discuss future
mobility, which is being driven by rapid advances in
automation and connectivity. Increased automation of
vehicles will increase road safety as it addresses the primary
cause of most automobile accidents: human error. Moreover,
vehicle innovations should offer significant energy savings
by using less congested routes and thus reducing the
overall transportation system congestion. Furthermore,
automated vehicles will offer mobility options for older
and disabled persons: important in ageing societies.
Vice chairman Yoon Dae-sung from Korea Foreign Car
Importers Association predicted
that auto will be a smart phone with wheels and participants
agreed that Korea is not appriately corresponding in a time
when auto is rapidly changing with manufacturing.
The Ambassador of the EU, Michael Reiterer, opened the
event by stressing that Korea is a strategic partner for the
EU and encouraged Korea to work to cooperate with the
EU on R&D in the field of Automated Road Transport under
Horizon 2020, the EU's R&D programme. Moreover, he
highlighted the importance of engaging in closer regulatory
cooperation to improve the operation of the Free Trade
Agreement in the automobile sector and prevent the
creation of new barriers to trade.