Road safety policy and capacity buildingprimary
2 projects
SaferAfrica focused on EU-Africa road safety dialogue and twinning, while FRONTIER addressed traffic management for connected vehicles.
Organization
INTERNATIONAL ROAD FEDERATION
Global road industry association contributing transport policy expertise, safety frameworks, and automated driving coordination to large EU demonstration projects.
NGO / AssociationtransportCH
H2020 projects
4
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€662K
Unique partners
164
What they do
Their core work
The International Road Federation (IRF) is a Geneva-based global advocacy and knowledge organization focused on road infrastructure, safety, and transport policy. In EU research projects, they contribute policy expertise, international coordination capacity, and industry engagement — particularly bridging European transport research with global road sector practitioners. Their work spans road safety frameworks (including EU-Africa dialogue), shared and automated mobility models, and large-scale connected driving demonstrations across borders.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
3 projects
SHOW, FRONTIER, and Hi-Drive all address automated vehicle integration, piloting, and large-scale cross-border demonstrations.
Shared and inclusive mobilitysecondary
1 project
SHOW explored shared mobility, MaaS, LaaS, and accessibility with emphasis on equity and inclusiveness.
Transport policy and international coordinationprimary
4 projects
All four projects involve multi-country coordination, policy frameworks, or international dialogue — reflecting IRF's core mission as a global road association.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Road safety and international dialogue
Recent focus
Connected and automated driving
IRF's H2020 journey began with traditional road safety and international capacity building (SaferAfrica in 2016, focused on EU-Africa twinning and safety reviews). From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward automated and connected driving — participating in three consecutive projects on vehicle automation, cross-border piloting, and smart traffic management. This mirrors the broader transport sector's pivot from conventional road safety toward digital transformation of road networks.
IRF is positioning itself as a policy and coordination partner for the deployment phase of automated driving, moving from research into large-scale real-world demonstrations.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: active_partnerReach: Global24 countries collaborated
IRF participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an international association that contributes policy expertise and industry networks rather than leading technical research. They operate in large consortia (164 unique partners across 4 projects), suggesting they are valued for their convening power and broad reach rather than deep technical execution. Working with IRF means accessing their global road sector network and policy credibility.
IRF has collaborated with 164 unique partners across 24 countries in just 4 projects, reflecting their role in very large, multi-national consortia typical of transport demonstration projects. Their geographic footprint spans well beyond Europe, notably including Africa through the SaferAfrica project.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
As a global road industry association based in Switzerland, IRF brings something most technical partners cannot: direct connections to road authorities, infrastructure operators, and transport ministries worldwide. For consortium builders, IRF offers a credible dissemination and policy uptake channel — ensuring research results reach the practitioners who actually manage road networks. Their dual focus on safety policy and automated driving makes them a bridge between legacy road infrastructure and future mobility.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- Hi-DriveLargest funding (EUR 254,000) and focused on large-scale cross-border automated driving demonstrations — IRF's most ambitious deployment-oriented project.
- SaferAfricaUnique EU-Africa road safety dialogue project with twinning and capacity reviews — distinctly different from the automation-focused portfolio and showcasing IRF's global reach.
- SHOWBroad scope covering shared automation, MaaS, electric vehicles, and equity — demonstrating IRF's engagement with the social dimensions of transport transformation.
Cross-sector capabilities
Digital infrastructure and smart mobility platformsInternational development and capacity buildingUrban planning and inclusive accessibilityPolicy design and regulatory frameworks
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