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SUNRISE is a new project in SAFER’s portfolio, whose full name is Safety assUraNce fRamework for connected, automated mobIlity SystEms, aiming to pave the way for safe large-scale deployment of automated vehicles on European public roads. The scope of the project is to define, implement and demonstrate the building blocks of safety assurance technologies and systems. It also aims at defining a harmonised approach to enable the massive deployment of highly automated vehicles.

Safety assurance of Cooperative connected and automated mobility (CCAM) technologies and systems is a crucial factor for their successful adoption in society. Today, one of the biggest challenges for CCAM is demonstrating its safety and reliability in every possible driving scenario. Furthermore, certification initiatives worldwide struggle to define a harmonised approach to enable massive deployment of highly automated vehicles. In answer to this need, the SUNRISE project aims to develop and demonstrate a commonly accepted, extensible safety assurance framework for testing and safety validation. 

Database framework 
SUNRISE will define, implement and demonstrate the building blocks of this safety assurance framework through harmonised and scalable safety assessment methodologies, procedures and metrics. The project consortium will work on tailored use cases, a federated European scenario database framework and its necessary data interfaces, and a commonly agreed simulation framework, including tools and interfaces. SUNRISE will work closely with CCAM stakeholders such as policymakers, regulators, consumer testing and user associations.

Builds on HEADSTART
SUNRISE represents a great opportunity to further develop on the work carried out and methodologies initiated in the HEADSTART project, a previous EU-funded SAFER project. The main activities in this stage will be:

• Bringing the needs of heterogeneous CCAM use cases.
• Defining a scenario-based database framework that will broaden the HEADSTART methodology.
• Holistically addressing the CCAM test scenario generation.
• Preparing the required tools for comprehensive testing – virtual and physical – taking into account robustness, scalability, interoperability, quality and standardization.
• Integrating functional safety and cybersecurity.
• Involving the use cases from the initial stages, acting as a guiding principle within the project.

The long-term goal of the SUNRISE project is to accelerate the safe deployment of innovative CCAM technologies and systems for passengers and goods by creating a demonstrable and positive impact on safety. This is in line with EU’s long-term goal of moving close to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, and the resilience of road and transport systems. 

The project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme and the SUNRISE researchers will work together until August 2025. The consortium is coordinated by IDIADA and consisting of 27 partners, where of Chalmers University of Technology and RISE are included in the SAFER partnership.

The total budget for SUNRISE is € 13,476,696.00 and the project will last for 36 months. SAFER’s research area for Safety performance evaluation will host the project and help ensure the knowledge built in this project will be of value for the SAFER partnership.

List of partners: 
RWTH, CRF, Infineon Technologies (Germany), IDIADA, RISE, RENAULT ESPANA SA, Siemens Industry Software Netherlands B.V., TME, RENAULT SAS, UNITN, VIF, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE SAS, Chalmers University of Technology, VICOM, TNO, ICCS, VeDeCoM Institute, BASt, CVC, ERTICO ITS EUR and AVL.

SUNRISE project has received funding from the European Union’s HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No 101069573.