#WeDrive2Zero: Interview with Jane Amilhat, European Commission DG RTD
Please briefly introduce yourself.
My name is Jane Amilhat. I have been dealing with R&I in the transport sector since April 2021, starting with aviation and waterborne, then, since November 2023, heading the Clean Transport Transitions unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) covering all transport modes. Before taking this role, I spent three years as Deputy Head of Unit for Energy Infrastructures and Regional Cooperation at the Directorate General for Energy (DG ENER).
With a background in engineering and economics in France and Germany, I started in the private sector, working for companies such as Danone, Gaz de France/Engie and RWE Trading. I joined the European Commission in 2006, working in the Directorate General for Environment (now DG CLIMA). I later moved to the Directorate General for Trade (DG TRADE) in 2008.
My Clean Transport Transitions unit is driving R&I to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, low-pollution and resource-efficient mobility systems in Europe. Our goal is to support the competitiveness of the EU transport sector, including aviation, rail, waterborne and road modes, whilst promoting safer and greener mobility.
Why did DG RTD decide to invest in the 2Zero Partnership?
European Partnerships are one of the key instruments of the R&I Framework Programme Horizon Europe. They are strategic instruments, which enable long-term collaboration between the EU’s various partners. These partnerships bring the European Commission, private and public partners, together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through concerted R&I initiatives.
Road transport contributes significantly to GHG-emissions and air pollutants. Zero-emission mobility is a game-changer, offering huge benefits such as cleaner air, lower costs and a more sustainable future. It is a win-win for the environment, our wallets and our overall well-being; it can even create new job opportunities and improve our quality of life.
The European Commission DG RTD decided to invest in the 2Zero Partnership, building on the work of its predecessors, the European Green Cars Initiative (EGCI) and the European Green Vehicles Initiative (EGVI), that laid the groundwork for electrification and clean energy in road transport.
2Zero now has a “system” approach, linking vehicles, charging infrastructures and the smart grid, to develop next-generation energy-efficient mobility solutions. This is exactly what we need for our future, to increase the affordability of solutions.
Why does the work and why do projects funded in the 2Zero Partnership matter? What difference can they make?
The work and projects funded in the 2Zero Partnership matter because they develop and deploy innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, improving energy efficiency and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Also, EU partnerships allow collaboration, leading to stronger EU ecosystems: coordination with other partnerships and EU programmes ensure the cross-fertilisation of results and, ultimately, the market uptake of solutions.
The 2Zero work and projects contribute to the creation of a stronger EU industry, supporting the development of new technologies and business models. This will create new opportunities for sustainable economic growth for decades to come.
We provide funding to both early-stage research and large-scale demonstrations to let the citizens and the industry explore and understand the possibilities and the benefits that the technologies can bring to this relevant sector. By doing so, we can ensure that our solutions are adopted by the market and make a real difference.
How do the priorities identified in the 2Zero SRIA support the EC in achieving its short, mid and long-term objectives?
The 2Zero Partnership is crucial to achieving our climate neutrality targets, which rely on zero-emission mobility. It is a key step towards a cleaner and more efficient transport system, a commitment to a sustainable future, and a push to promote sustainable economic growth for the European industry.
We focus on next-generation, energy-efficient, zero-emission road vehicles, mobility solutions, recharging infrastructures and circularity. We are committed to making a significant difference, with clear benefits for the people and the industry in the whole of the European Union.
The SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda), our common roadmap, has been developed jointly, with the contribution of some hundreds of stakeholders. It gives a clear idea of our main, shared objective: to support the European Union climate and energy policies for a net-zero emission economy by 2050. Obviously, we shall also reach more, shorter-term targets, such as supporting the reduction of emissions by at least 55% by 2030, and demonstrating affordable and efficient vehicles, or a smart and bidirectional charging ecosystem.
What can you share regarding activities upcoming until the end of the Partnership, that will reinforce and enlarge the scope of 2Zero?
The Work programme 2025 has been recently published. It can be found on the “EU Funding & Tenders Portal”: we are now working on the definition of the next and last work programme, that for 2026 and 2027, which shall be approved by the end of 2025.
In the meantime, we are working at other levels, to see how to further support the alignment of R&I in zero-emission mobility at national and regional levels. The EU Partnerships can indeed act as a catalyst for coordination and reinforcement across different EU, national and regional funding programmes.
We are developing Cooperation Working Arrangements (CWA) to boost the cooperation between the EU partnerships and regional authorities: a first pilot CWA has been signed with the Regione Piemonte (Italy), in December 2024. We aim to replicate this in many European regions during the course of 2025 and 2026. This will have strong and mutual benefits. On one hand, the Partnership offers the EU institutional framework, the knowledge and the solutions developed by the EU R&I projects; on the other hand, the regions will have the opportunity to make more streamlined investments to support the deployment and uptake of innovative solutions, creating competitive clusters at their level. Another win-win solution.
2026/2027 is already the last Horizon Europe Work Programme. What is coming next?
As you know, the European Commission is now working on putting the “Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector” into action. The goal is to support the industry’s competitiveness and transition to a sustainable and digital sector, with a focus on innovation, clean mobility and competitiveness.
Soon, we can expect to see a stronger focus on zero-emission targets and digitalisation, including the creation of an alliance on connected and autonomous vehicles. There will also be a renewed push to support a self-sufficient and competitive battery supply chain for the automotive sector in Europe, reducing our reliance on imported raw materials and being able to scale-up battery production in the EU, adding value for this sector.
With the next budget cycle coming up, we will take a fresh look at how the future “automotive” partnership can best support the industry’s needs. All actors should work together, in a focused manner, towards the competitiveness of the EU automotive industry.
Overall, it is an exciting time for the European automotive sector: we are encouraging industry leaders to be ambitious and focused about what they want to achieve in terms of research and innovation. As the European Commission, we can help defining the future path and kick-start the activities, but then it must be up to the industry to use their large budgets wisely. We will work to bring in more private investment, to make sure the industry has the resources it needs to thrive and reach world class competitiveness.