Turkey's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer contributing automotive integration, electrification, and autonomous driving expertise to European R&D consortia.
Ford Otosan is Turkey's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer and Ford's primary production hub for heavy-duty trucks and transit vehicles in Europe. In H2020, they contribute automotive OEM expertise to projects spanning electrification, autonomous driving, advanced powertrain optimization, and next-generation connectivity. Their R&D focuses on integrating new technologies — batteries, sensors, hydrogen powertrains, semiconductors — into real vehicle platforms, serving as the industrial validation and testing partner that brings lab research to production-ready applications.
SUBLIME (solid-state sulfide batteries), ALBATROSS (fast-charging optimized battery systems), and StorAIge (embedded storage for MCUs) demonstrate deep engagement in next-generation energy storage.
PRYSTINE, NewControl, HADRIAN, TrustVehicle, and 5G-MOBIX cover the full stack from fail-operational perception and sensor fusion to human-machine interfaces and V2X connectivity.
optiTruck (predictive powertrain control for trucks), LONGRUN (their largest-funded project at EUR 1.66M on efficient long-distance powertrains), and CoacHyfied (hydrogen fuel cell coaches).
BEYOND5 (RFSOI for 5G/V2X), HiEFFICIENT (wide band-gap power electronics), and PRYSTINE (semiconductor components for safety-critical systems).
PLATIRUS and PEACOC both target platinum-group metal recovery from spent automotive catalysts and end-of-life products, reflecting circular economy interest.
VisIoN and ENLIGHTEM training networks explore VLC-enabled IoT systems, suggesting interest in alternative in-vehicle and V2X communication technologies.
From 2016–2019, Ford Otosan focused on conventional powertrain optimization (optiTruck), vehicle trustworthiness in mixed traffic, and foundational work in semiconductor sensors and safety-critical embedded systems. From 2020 onward, the portfolio shifted decisively toward electrification — solid-state batteries, fast charging, hydrogen fuel cells for coaches, and wide band-gap power electronics — alongside continued investment in autonomous driving and 5G connectivity. The trajectory shows a traditional heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer systematically building capabilities for a zero-emission, software-defined vehicle future.
Ford Otosan is rapidly building expertise in solid-state batteries, fast charging, and hydrogen powertrains — expect them to seek partners in advanced battery materials, charging infrastructure, and fuel cell integration for commercial vehicles.
Ford Otosan participates exclusively as a consortium partner — never as coordinator — across all 20 projects, which is typical for large OEMs that contribute industrial validation rather than research leadership. With 406 unique partners across 29 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad network, joining both large Research and Innovation Actions (10 projects) and Innovation Actions (8 projects). This makes them an accessible and experienced consortium member who brings real-world manufacturing context and end-user validation to any partnership.
With 406 unique consortium partners across 29 countries, Ford Otosan has one of the broadest collaboration networks among Turkish H2020 participants. Their partnerships span major European automotive clusters in Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, with strong ties to both tier-1 suppliers and academic research groups.
Ford Otosan is one of very few Turkish industrial companies with deep, sustained participation across 20 H2020 projects, giving them rare bridge capabilities between European R&D ecosystems and Turkish manufacturing capacity. Unlike pure research partners, they bring production-scale vehicle integration and testing infrastructure — projects can validate technologies on real truck and transit vehicle platforms. Their dual focus on heavy commercial vehicles and passenger car technologies makes them a versatile OEM partner covering transport segments that many European manufacturers treat separately.
