ICCT - INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON CLEAN TRANSPORTATION EUROPE GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH

Their core work

ICCT is the European arm of the International Council on Clean Transportation, a nonprofit research organization that provides independent, data-driven analysis of vehicle emissions and clean transportation policy. Their H2020 work focuses on real-world vehicle emissions measurement — using remote sensing, roadside monitoring, and plume-chasing techniques to detect high-emitting vehicles, tampering, and cheating devices on actual roads. They bring deep regulatory and technical expertise on emission standards, helping cities and policymakers understand the gap between laboratory test results and real driving emissions. Their global reputation in transportation emissions policy makes them a credible independent voice in EU-funded research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ICCT's early H2020 involvement (2016–2019) centered on broad mobility planning (MOBILITY4EU) and establishing real-world emissions measurement infrastructure — remote sensing, plume-chasing, and roadside monitoring of on-road vehicles (CARES). From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward actionable interventions: detecting cheating devices and tampering (DIAS), modelling emissions for retrofit solutions (uCARe), and expanding into electric mobility in a global development context (SOLUTIONSplus). The trajectory shows a clear shift from measurement and surveillance toward detection, enforcement, and solutions.

ICCT is moving from documenting the emissions problem toward building digital tools that detect fraud and support enforcement — expect future work at the intersection of data analytics, vehicle diagnostics, and clean transport regulation.

How they like to work

ICCT exclusively participates as a partner, never as a coordinator in H2020 — consistent with their role as an independent policy research body that contributes specialized analysis rather than managing large consortia. With 91 unique partners across 30 countries, they operate as a widely connected but non-central node, joining different teams for each project rather than returning to the same partners. This makes them an accessible collaboration partner: they bring credibility and analytical depth without competing for project leadership.

ICCT has collaborated with 91 unique partners across 30 countries, reflecting a remarkably wide network for just 5 projects. This breadth comes from joining large, multi-country consortia, giving them connections spanning most of Europe and beyond.

What sets them apart

ICCT occupies a rare niche as an independent, nonprofit research body focused specifically on clean transportation — they are neither a university nor an industry player, which gives their emissions data and policy analysis unusual credibility. Their global brand recognition (the ICCT was instrumental in exposing the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal) means they bring immediate legitimacy to any consortium working on vehicle emissions or clean transport policy. For consortium builders, ICCT offers something hard to find elsewhere: technically rigorous, policy-relevant emissions expertise from an organization with no commercial conflicts of interest.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CARES
  Largest ICCT project by far (EUR 498k), focused on deploying remote emission sensing across European cities — their core competency at scale.
• DIAS
  Directly tackles cheating devices and emissions tampering using AI-driven anomaly detection — a post-Dieselgate enforcement response.
• SOLUTIONSplus
  Marks ICCT's expansion into electric mobility and international development cooperation, signaling a broadening beyond emissions measurement.