17/6/2025 |Articles are machine translated
In the picture (from left) Josef Pokorný, Secretary of the Association of Automobile Importers, Martin Kupka, Minister of Transport and Zdeněk Petzl, Executive Director of the Association of the Automotive Industry, present the memorandum they have just signed, which sets out the key directions for the development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic: Hana Görlichová
The Ministry of Transport, the Automotive Industry Association and the Association of Car Importers have jointly signed a memorandum defining the main directions for the further development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic. The signing ceremony took place within the framework of the round table “Czech Republic on the threshold of autonomous mobility”.
“We are defining specific areas of cooperation and the basic points for the further development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic, because the adoption of new legislation from January 2026 will not be the end of the development of this area in our country. On the contrary,” says Transport Minister Martin Kupka.
The Memorandum is dedicated to ensuring support for research and development of autonomous mobility, appropriate conditions for the development, testing and operation of automated and fully automated vehicles and related technologies. At the same time, it sets out a framework to support activities aimed at raising awareness of autonomous mobility, related technologies and services. It also aims to promote technical education and interest in this field. Last but not least, it is also intended to help create legislation that will enable the operation of fully automated vehicles (SAE levels L4 and L5) in normal road traffic in the Czech Republic, in accordance with European and international legislation.
The last mentioned area follows this year’s amendment to the Road Act, which will allow the operation of automated vehicles of SAE L3 level in the Czech Republic from 1 January 2026. Thanks to advanced technologies, these vehicles can drive autonomously, i.e. without driver intervention, in certain situations – for example, when driving in traffic jams at low speeds or when driving on the motorway. Future legislation is expected to further develop towards higher levels of automation, i.e. SAE L4 and L5 vehicles. These vehicles will be capable of fully autonomous operation without the presence of a driver. In practice, this means, for example, autonomous robotaxis operating in pre-defined urban areas, autonomous buses for public transport or fully automated trucks for long-distance transport or last-mile delivery. From a legislative point of view, the Czech Republic is thus entering a new phase to prepare the conditions for the normal operation of autonomous vehicles in a real transport environment.
In the area of research and development, the Memorandum focuses primarily on strengthening support for existing and emerging programmes focused on autonomous mobility, related technologies and the necessary research and testing infrastructure. Czech academic institutions that have been involved in autonomous mobility for a long time and have proven application results in this area have a key role to play here. The parties to the Memorandum commit to actively cooperate with these institutions in the implementation of research and development activities. The conditions for development and testing will be further developed, for example through the support of living labs and test facilities for the verification of autonomous mobility in real environments. Capacities for homologation testing and testing of automated and fully automated vehicles are also to be strengthened. Last but not least, it is planned to develop testing infrastructure and test polygons in the Czech Republic, which will be key to verify the safety and functionality of new systems before they are put into normal operation.
The Ministry of Transport will also seek to support the development of digital infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for testing and operation of autonomous vehicles. These efforts include building modern telematics systems and ensuring the availability of high quality and open data on transport infrastructure and actual traffic. The Automotive Industry Association (AutoSAP) and the Automotive Importers Association (SDA) will be involved in defining the priorities from the perspective of the automotive sector, while they are expected to be actively involved in national and international initiatives aimed at aligning the Czech approach with European and global developments in the field of autonomous mobility.
“We see the signing of the memorandum as an important milestone that confirms the long-term efforts of the Czech automotive industry to actively co-create conditions for the safe and efficient development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic. By establishing a clear legislative framework for operation and setting appropriate conditions for vehicle testing, companies are motivated to invest in the development, production and export of advanced technologies. This is key to maintaining our competitiveness in Europe and the world,” says Zdeněk Petzl, Executive Director of the Automotive Industry Association.
Key among the legislative measures is the preparation of amendments to the laws that would allow the operation of fully autonomous vehicles in normal road traffic from 2027. At the same time, AutoSAP and SDA will offer expert capacity to European and international working groups to support the development of a single legislative and regulatory framework for the approval and operation of automated vehicles across the EU.
“Modern technologies are being applied more and more rapidly in the supply of new vehicles, so it is very important to have the right conditions for their use in the Czech Republic with maximum positive impact on users, safety and speed of development on the market. Cooperation in this area can significantly accelerate the position of the Czech Republic in this area,” says Josef Pokorný, Secretary of the Association of Car Importers.
In the area of education and awareness raising, the signatories will also seek to organise regular conferences on autonomous mobility. The Ministry of Transport will also focus on implementing a comprehensive information campaign to bring the topic of autonomous mobility to the general public. The aim is also to strengthen the international perception of the Czech Republic as a technically advanced and knowledge-intensive country that offers quality facilities for research, development and testing of autonomous technologies.
“I consider autonomous mobility and its development in the Czech Republic to be a crucial opportunity for the Czech car industry and the overall strengthening of competitiveness, which is closely linked to this strategic sector. We will support technological and system solutions for autonomous mobility with appropriate steps, including the creation of an appropriate legal framework. We plan to continue close cooperation with the car industry and other important partners from the public and academic sectors,” says Transport Minister Martin Kupka.
The Memorandum was signed on the occasion of the Czech Republic on the Threshold of Autonomous Mobility roundtable, which assessed the main benefits and challenges associated with the development of autonomous mobility in the Czech Republic and confirmed the will to further cooperate in creating a suitable environment for its development. The discussion was attended by experts from Czech universities, representatives of the automotive industry and distinguished foreign guests. For example, Christian Merkt, Director of European Digitalisation and Automated Driving at BMW and Mats Rosenquist, Head of Public Projects at Volvo. Claire Depre, representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, also spoke.
The roundtable participants agreed that the development of autonomous mobility brings new opportunities for the Czech Republic, strengthens its competitiveness, offers new services for users and contributes to increased road safety. The common goal of all signatories is also to strengthen the position of the Czech automotive industry on the global market.
The signatories of the Memorandum include the Ministry of Transport represented by the Minister of Transport Martin Kupka, the Automotive Industry Association (AutoSAP) headed by its Executive Director Zdeněk Petzl and the Union of Automobile Importers (SDA) represented by its Secretary Josef Pokorný. The move builds on a long-standing cooperation in the field of autonomous mobility since 2017.
