New European cooperation project launched to advance autonomous vehicle safety education

A new European higher education cooperation project titled SafeAV – Harmonization of Autonomous Vehicle Safety Validation and Verification for Higher Education has officially launched under the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The three-year initiative brings together a consortium of universities and companies from Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and the Czech Republic to tackle a pressing challenge: how to equip the next generation of engineers and professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to ensure the safety of autonomous vehicles.

While autonomous systems—such as self-driving cars, delivery robots, and drones—are rapidly entering everyday life, ensuring their safe, responsible, and trustworthy integration into society requires a new level of interdisciplinary education. SafeAV addresses this need by developing a unified and flexible educational framework that supports both technical depth and ethical awareness.

The project will deliver a modern, modular curriculum covering AV safety fundamentals as well as specialized content on validation and verification (V&V). These materials will be made available through open digital learning platforms, combining theoretical foundations with practical use cases—such as autonomous shuttles, drones, and robotics systems. In addition, AI-powered tools will help educators and learners adapt and personalize learning paths across bachelor and master levels.

Partners in the SafeAV consortium include ITT Group (coordinator, Estonia), Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), Riga Technical University (Latvia), Silesian University of Technology (Poland), Prodron sp. z o.o. (Poland), and Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic). Together, they will contribute to curriculum development, digital content creation, pilot implementations, and evaluation activities.

SafeAV is more than a curriculum project—it is a forward-looking contribution to safer mobility, stronger academic–industry collaboration, and future-ready education across Europe. By creating open, high-quality learning resources and practical frameworks for AV safety, the project ensures that technological progress is matched by educational readiness and social responsibility.

SafeAV is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Project reference: 2024-1-EE01-KA220-HED-000245441

Project webpage: https://safeav.ittgroup.ee

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.