5G as an Enabler of Connected-and-Automated Mobility in European Cross-Border Corridors—A Market Assessment

Abstract

5G systems are capable of facilitating remarkable technological advances and promoting sustainability in Internet-of-Things-centric fields, such as the Transport and Logistics (T&L) sector and applications in Connected-and-Automated Mobility (CAM). The current article provides an overview of the latest developments in the applications of the 5G mobile network standard in CAM and is specifically focused on analyzing existing and potential applications within European T&L corridors and subsequent markets. A focused marketplace analysis is conducteFd, highlighting the demands of commercialization clusters within European cross-border markets, as well as an analysis of how some of these demands can supplement the deployment of 5G products and services in the coming years. With the aim of providing a macro-level description of the landscape of 5G applications in CAM, the authors further discuss and classify the markets’ influencing factors according to the PESTEL framework, which is further enhanced to include the recent impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The findings display that while 5G is a crucial underlying technology for the establishment of CAM, several factors, such as international security, political coordination at the EU level, and common technological standards across EU member states, will have a central role in the successful deployment of its applications.