PIAGGIO & C S.P.A.

Their core work

Piaggio is one of Europe's largest manufacturers of two-wheeled motor vehicles and light transport solutions, best known for the Vespa scooter and Ape commercial vehicles. In H2020, they bring real-world vehicle engineering and manufacturing expertise to projects focused on electrifying light vehicles, improving rider safety, and integrating connected and automated driving technologies. Their contribution centers on the L-category vehicle segment (mopeds, motorcycles, light quadricycles) — a niche where few large OEMs operate at European scale, making them a critical industry voice in transport research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Piaggio's early H2020 work (2015–2017) concentrated on vehicle electrification — battery technology and electric powertrain development for L-category vehicles — plus strategic positioning within the European road transport research agenda. From 2017 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward connected, cooperative, and automated mobility alongside physical rider safety, with projects addressing smart road infrastructure, C-ITS deployment, helmet biomechanics, and human factors in automated driving. This trajectory mirrors the broader industry pivot from "build cleaner vehicles" to "build smarter, safer vehicles."

Piaggio is moving toward automated and connected two-wheeler integration, positioning itself at the intersection of rider safety, HMI design, and cooperative transport systems — expect future interest in V2X for powered two-wheelers.

How they like to work

Piaggio predominantly participates as a consortium partner (6 of 7 projects) rather than leading, which is typical for large OEMs who contribute industry requirements, vehicle platforms, and testing capabilities without bearing full project management overhead. They coordinated one major project (RESOLVE), demonstrating they can lead when the topic is core to their product line. With 143 unique partners across 19 countries, they operate as a well-connected industry node — a valuable consortium member who brings manufacturing credibility and end-user market access.

Piaggio has collaborated with 143 distinct partners across 19 countries, indicating a broad European network spanning research institutes, universities, and fellow OEMs in the transport sector. Their geographic spread suggests strong connections across Western and Southern Europe, consistent with the automotive and transport research landscape.

What sets them apart

Piaggio occupies a rare position as one of the few major European OEMs focused specifically on L-category vehicles (scooters, motorcycles, light commercial vehicles). While most H2020 transport research is dominated by car and truck manufacturers, Piaggio brings the two-wheeler and light vehicle perspective — critical for urban mobility, last-mile logistics, and micro-mobility policy. For consortium builders, they offer something hard to find elsewhere: a large-scale manufacturer who can validate research results against real production platforms in the powered two-wheeler segment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RESOLVE
  Piaggio's only coordinated project and their largest grant (EUR 1.56M), focused on electric solutions for L-category vehicles — directly aligned with their core product line.
• DriveToTheFuture
  Extends Piaggio's reach into automated vehicle user behaviour and HMI across multiple transport modes, signaling their strategic move toward connected mobility.
• PIONEERS
  Addresses rider-specific safety through biomechanics and helmet design — a topic uniquely relevant to two-wheeler manufacturers and underrepresented in transport research.