CCAM Proving Region officially launched in Hasselt
On 24 February 2026, the Interreg project CCAM Proving Region officially kicked off on the campus of Hasselt University. During the kick-off, companies, knowledge institutions and governments from Flanders and the Netherlands came together to mark their ambition: to develop a large-scale, cross-border test area for connected, cooperative and automated mobility (CCAM). Brainport Eindhoven is involved in this collaboration as a mobility ecosystem.
The three-year project (2025–2028) is developing a trusted environment in which autonomous mobility solutions can be safely tested, validated and scaled up in cities, rural areas and on motorways.
European context and focus on implementation
During the kick-off, extensive attention was paid to the European policy context, including the Industrial Action Plan for automated driving. The message was clear: it is not just about technological development, but about demonstrable commitment in practice.
Topics such as technology validation, business cases, legal and regulatory issues, user acceptance and operational implementation were discussed from various perspectives. As emphasised during the event, testing is important, but demonstrating that it works in practice is essential.
Cross-border testing in realistic environments
Within the CCAM Proving Region project, validated and audited test zones are being set up in urban areas, rural areas and on motorways in Flanders and the Netherlands. This creates a large-scale, realistic test environment for Field Operational Tests.
In addition to public road tests, the project offers shared circuit test periods. This gives smaller companies the opportunity to meet technical and safety requirements before conducting tests in public traffic.
The project also explores how legal frameworks can be applied in practice, for example with regard to traffic rules, type approval of vehicles and mutual recognition of safety validation. By taking these preconditions into account at an early stage, the step from testing to implementation becomes smaller.
From test environment to structural cooperation
The CCAM Proving Region forms the basis for a future Proving Region Excellence Centre (PREC2). This centre aims to stimulate regional innovation development and structurally strengthen cross-border cooperation.
The importance of cooperation was also emphasised during the kick-off. Partners from industry, government and research are working together on concrete use cases, ranging from autonomous logistics to new forms of public transport.
Open ecosystem for partners
The CCAM Proving Region is an open ecosystem. Organisations that want to test, learn or scale up within autonomous mobility are invited to join.
With this Interreg collaboration, Flanders and the Netherlands are strengthening their position within the European development of automated mobility. For Brainport Eindhoven, this means a further connection with cross-border test infrastructure and European innovation programmes.
