EUROPEAN CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

Their core work

EICT is a Berlin-based technology SME that bridges ICT research and the automotive sector, specializing in connected and automated driving systems. They contribute to large-scale European piloting and testing campaigns for autonomous vehicles, bringing expertise in communication technologies, sensor systems, and field operational testing. Their work spans from 5G network architectures and heterogeneous radio access to advanced driver assistance and higher-level vehicle automation, positioning them at the intersection of telecommunications and intelligent transport.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), EICT worked across two distinct domains: 5G telecommunications (COHERENT, 5GEx) and vehicle sensing/driver assistance (RobustSENSE). From 2017 onward, their focus consolidated sharply around automated driving piloting, with L3Pilot and Hi-Drive absorbing the bulk of their funding. The telecommunications expertise appears to have served as a foundation that fed into connected vehicle work, representing a clear convergence toward deployment-ready automated mobility.

EICT is moving from underlying communication and sensing technologies toward real-world deployment and cross-border piloting of automated vehicles, suggesting they will seek partners in traffic management, regulation, and urban mobility.

How they like to work

EICT operates exclusively as a participant, never leading consortia — they are a reliable technical contributor rather than a project driver. With 108 unique partners across 19 countries, they consistently work in very large consortia (typical for automated driving flagship projects). This makes them experienced at integrating into complex multi-partner setups, though it also means they depend on strong coordinators to be effective.

EICT has built a broad European network of 108 unique partners spanning 19 countries, largely through participation in flagship automated driving and 5G projects. Their network is particularly strong in the Western European automotive and telecom research ecosystem.

What sets them apart

EICT sits at a rare intersection: they combine deep telecommunications expertise (5G, network architectures) with hands-on automated driving testing experience. For consortium builders, this dual competence is valuable because connected automated driving increasingly depends on reliable V2X communication — and few SMEs can credibly cover both sides. Their Berlin base and SME status also make them an attractive partner for proposals needing German participation and SME quotas.

Highlights from their portfolio

• L3Pilot
  Largest funding share (EUR 1.47M) — a flagship European project piloting Level 3 automated driving on public roads across multiple countries.
• Hi-Drive
  Most recent project (2021–2025) targeting higher automation deployment with large-scale cross-border demonstrations, signaling EICT's current strategic direction.
• COHERENT
  Demonstrates EICT's telecom roots — 5G heterogeneous network management, a foundation that later fed into their connected driving work.