AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Their core work

Audi is a major German automotive manufacturer that uses H2020 projects to advance its vehicle technology across automated driving, electric mobility, and safety systems. Within EU consortia, Audi contributes real-world vehicle platforms, test environments, and integration expertise — serving as the industrial validation partner that brings research concepts into production-grade automotive applications. Their involvement spans from pedestrian safety and autonomous driving pilots to EV battery thermal management and AI-driven manufacturing, reflecting a full-spectrum push toward the software-defined, electric, autonomous vehicle.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Audi's early H2020 work (2015–2018) centered on vehicle safety systems for pedestrians and cyclists (PROSPECT), flexible OLED electronics for automotive displays (PI-SCALE), and the first automated driving pilots (L3Pilot). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward electric vehicle technology — battery thermal management, electrified powertrains, in-wheel motors — alongside AI for manufacturing and large-scale autonomous driving demonstrations. The most recent projects (2021–2025) add environmental concerns like tyre particulate emissions and noise, signaling alignment with tightening EU sustainability regulations.

Audi is converging its R&D toward the fully electric, AI-assisted, autonomous vehicle — with growing attention to environmental impact beyond tailpipe emissions.

How they like to work

Audi participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with large OEMs that contribute industrial resources and testing infrastructure rather than managing EU project administration. With 254 unique partners across 26 countries and a preference for large Innovation Action consortia (8 of 13 projects are IAs), they operate as a high-value industrial anchor that attracts broad European networks. Working with Audi means accessing a tier-1 automaker's validation capabilities, but project leadership will sit elsewhere.

Audi has collaborated with 254 distinct partners across 26 countries, making it one of the more broadly networked automotive OEMs in H2020. Their consortia are predominantly pan-European with no single geographic concentration beyond a natural German base.

What sets them apart

Audi brings what most consortium partners cannot: a full OEM production environment where research prototypes can be tested against real manufacturing constraints and vehicle integration requirements. Unlike Tier-1 suppliers or research institutes, Audi can validate technologies at the system level — from individual components to complete vehicle demonstrators. For consortium builders, Audi's participation signals industrial credibility and a path toward market adoption that reviewers and the Commission value highly.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Hi-Drive
  Largest single EC contribution to Audi (EUR 1.17M) — a flagship large-scale autonomous driving deployment project running through 2025.
• L3Pilot
  Major pan-European automated driving pilot on public roads, positioning Audi alongside leading OEMs in real-world Level 3 testing.
• LEON-T
  Unusual for an OEM — addresses tyre noise and microplastic emissions, signaling early engagement with non-exhaust pollution regulations.