AutoSens, the world’s leading vehicle perception conference, will welcome the British Ambassador on the final day of the event.
Alison Rose, who has been British Ambassador to Belgium since 2014, originally hails from Coventry in the West Midlands, widely regarded as the home of the British car industry and home to hundreds of companies including OEMs, Tier 1 and 2 suppliers as well as a significant ecosystem of universities, research organisations and test facilities geared to the advancement of transport.
The visit reaffirms the developing international support for AutoSens as a key event in the calendar for influencers working in and alongside the automotive, technology and policy areas which touch on the future of intelligent mobility, international trade, industrial development and cooperative working.
“The automotive industry is one that embraces technological innovation as an essential driver for its future growth. It is a privilege to have the key organisations behind this innovation come to Brussels.
There is also a role for government to act as a catalyst in the development of more autonomous vehicles. Developing the right regulatory framework to allow testing, providing support for collaborative research projects and establishing a dialogue with all involved are just of few areas where a government can make a difference.”
Attending from the Belgian Government will also be David Schoenmaekers, attache to Federale Overheidsdienst Mobiliteit en Vervoer, the Belgian Transport Ministry. Belgium aims to be among the frontrunners in testing of automated vehicles, and acknowledges that the UK government’s Code of Practice is a very useful tool that provides clear guidelines and recommendations for measures that should be taken to maintain safety during this testing phase.
“We are striving for the balance between, on the one hand, creating possibilities to test these promising innovations in real traffic and on the other hand guaranteeing road safety.”
Organisers of AutoSens are proud to include this distinguished opening to Day 2 of the conference, and to be able to play a role in supporting autonomous vehicle development in both their home and host countries in 2016.
