ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE DES FOURNISSEURS AUTOMOBILES

Their core work

CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, the voice of the automotive supply industry in Europe representing over 3,000 companies. In H2020 projects, they serve as the industry bridge — bringing supplier perspectives, regulatory insight, and cross-industry coordination to collaborative R&D on connected driving, vehicle electrification, and urban mobility. Their role centers on aligning research outcomes with real-world automotive supply chain needs, facilitating knowledge exchange between OEMs, suppliers, and research institutions, and helping shape deployment roadmaps for automated and electric vehicles across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CLEPA's early H2020 involvement (2016–2018) focused squarely on coordination actions for connected and automated driving — mapping the landscape, aligning deployment strategies, and building consensus across the European automotive ecosystem (SCOUT, CARTRE). From 2018 onward, their portfolio shifted toward concrete innovation actions: multi-brand truck platooning (ENSEMBLE), modular electric delivery vehicles (URBANIZED), and advanced battery systems (LIBERTY). The trajectory shows a clear move from policy coordination toward hands-on participation in EV and electrification projects.

CLEPA is pivoting from autonomous driving policy work toward electrification, urban mobility, and battery technology — expect growing interest in EV supply chain and zero-emission logistics projects.

How they like to work

CLEPA always participates as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an industry association that brings supplier-side expertise to researcher-led consortia. With 82 unique partners across 14 countries in just 6 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia and function as a network hub connecting automotive suppliers to academic and industrial R&D teams. Working with CLEPA means gaining access to their extensive member network and industry-wide credibility, though they contribute policy insight and coordination rather than direct technical R&D.

Remarkably broad network for their project count: 82 unique consortium partners across 14 countries, reflecting their role as an industry umbrella organization with deep connections across the European automotive ecosystem. Their Brussels base places them at the center of EU policy-making.

What sets them apart

CLEPA is not a research lab or a tech company — they are the official European voice of the automotive supply industry, representing thousands of suppliers from Tier 1 giants to specialized SMEs. This makes them uniquely valuable in consortia that need industry buy-in, market validation, or a credible dissemination channel to the automotive supply chain. If your project needs to demonstrate real-world relevance to automotive suppliers or influence deployment standards, CLEPA is the partner that opens those doors.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENSEMBLE
  Largest project by funding (EUR 976K to CLEPA), tackling the complex challenge of enabling safe multi-brand truck platooning across European borders.
• ARCADE
  Strategic coordination action aligning all connected and automated driving research across Europe — a knowledge-sharing hub linking policy, industry, and research.
• URBANIZED
  Marks CLEPA's shift into zero-emission urban logistics, combining modular EV design with Euro NCAP safety rating development for a new vehicle category.