New developments in vehicle technology, infrastructure and transport services are bringing autonomous transport closer to widespread use, while important questions remain about safety, integration and regulation. Where are we today, and what needs to happen next?
Overview
Welcome to the conference Autonomous transport: what’s new and what’s next? hosted by Transport Area of Advance. The conference brings together leading researchers, industry experts and policymakers to present recent developments, examine the challenges ahead and discuss the way forward.
Programme
Opening | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|
08:30 | Registration, mingle, coffee & sandwich |
|
09:00 | Welcome from Transport Area of Advance | Balázs Kulcsár, Director, and Ala Arvidsson, Co-Director, Transport Area of Advance, Chalmers University of Technology. |
Predictive and connected vehicles | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|
09:15 | Introduction | Ala Arvidsson and Carlos Xisto, Chalmers University of Technology |
09:20 | From Fleet Insights to Physical AI: Building Safe Automation for Every Journey | Gabriel Rodrigues de Campos, Head of Research, Zenseact |
09:35 | Automating heavy vehicle combination: a three-dimensional problem | Leo Laine, Innovation and research strategist, Volvo Group, adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology |
09:50 | Towards a Self-Driving Research Lab for Autonomous Transport: Challenges and Opportunities | Christian Berger, Professor for Computer Science, University of Gothenburg |
Panel discussion | Moderator and speakers | |
10:30 | Coffee & cake | Volvo foyer |
Vehicles interacting with traffic | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|
11:00 | Introduction | Robert Thomson and Miroslaw Staron, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg |
11:05 | Continuous Deployment and Safety Assurance of Automated Systems | Dr Håkan Sivencrona, Senior Technical Leader, Volvo Car Corporation |
11:20 | Leveraging digital services for users of the road transport system | Noel Alldritt, (C-)ITS teamlead & Solutions Architect, Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) |
11:35 | Interaction is a dangerous way of cooperation in traffic | Jonas Sjöberg, Professor of Mechatronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology |
Panel discussion | Moderator and speakers | |
12:15 | Lunch | Volvo foyer |
Transport services | Speakers | |
|---|---|---|
13:00 | Introduction | Linda Pipkorn, Chalmers University of Technology, and Johan Woxenius, University of Gothenburg |
13:05 | Experiences from the MODI project – A leap towards L4 automated driving features | Mats Rosenquist, Specialist Leader Public Projects, Volvo Group |
13:20 | Autonomous Mobility in Europe and where Europe can cash-in on its Research and Innovation capita | Vivetha Natterjee, Head of Product & Deployment | Autonomous Driving, Bolt |
13:35 | Autonomous trucks: a new transport mode. How autonomy, electrification and digital operations will lift productivity in road haulage. | Peter Svensson, Teknik och Infrastruktur, Sveriges Åkeriföretag (The Swedish Association of Road Transport Companies) |
13:50 | The Human Side of Automated Vehicles, Inside, Outside, and Remote | Dr. Pnina Gershon, Research Scientist, MIT, USA |
Panel discussion | Moderators and speakers |
Closing | ||
|---|---|---|
14:30 | Closing remarks | Balázs Kulcsár, Director, and Ala Arvidsson, Co-Director, Transport Area of Advance, Chalmers University of Technology |
14:40-15:30 | Networking and mingle | Volvo foyer |
An introduction to the speakers
Session 1: Predictive and connected vehicles
Gabriel Rodrigues de Campos, Head of Research, Zenseact
From Fleet Insights to Physical AI: Building Safe Automation for Every Journey
Leo Laine, Innovation and research strategist, Volvo Group Trucks Technology & Industrial Division, and adjunct Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology
Automating heavy vehicle combination: a three-dimensional problem
Christian Berger, Professor for Computer Science, University of Gothenburg.
Towards a Self-Driving Research Lab for Autonomous Transport: Challenges and Opportunities
Session 2: Vehicles interacting with traffic
Dr Håkan Sivencrona, Senior Technical Leader, Volvo Car Corporation.
Continuous Deployment and Safety Assurance of Automated Systems
Noel Alldritt, (C-)ITS teamlead & Solutions Architect, Business Area - Information & Communication Technology, Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket)
Leveraging digital services for users of the road transport system
Jonas Sjöberg, Professor of Mechatronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology
Interaction is a dangerous way of cooperation in traffic
Session 3: Transport services
Mats Rosenquist, Specialist Leader Public Projects, Volvo Group
Experiences from the MODI project – A leap towards L4 automated driving features
Vivetha Natterjee, Head of Product & Deployment | Autonomous Driving, Bolt
Autonomous Mobility in Europe and where Europe can cash-in on its Research and Innovation capita
Peter Svensson, Teknik och Infrastruktur, Sveriges Åkeriföretag (The Swedish Association of Road Transport Companies)
Autonomous trucks: a new transport mode. How autonomy, electrification and digital operations will lift productivity in road haulage.
Dr. Pnina Gershon, Research Scientist, MIT, USA
The Human Side of Automated Vehicles, Inside, Outside, and Remote
About the conference
Hosted by Chalmers Transport Area of Advance (Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg).
Open to all and free of charge, subject to registration. Please note that this is a physical event.
The conference is a part of A Season of Transport Research. A series of events during autumn 2026 hosted by Chalmers University of Technology and collaboration partners, that bring together researchers, industry experts, and policymakers to explore the latest advancements and challenges in the field of transport.
Transport Area of Advance
Research area with focus on transport-related challenges for safe and sustainable development.
Transport Area of Advance
Research area with focus on transport-related challenges for safe and sustainable development.
