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The Côte d’Azur a center of excellence for autonomous vehicles

The Côte d’Azur reaffirms its position as a hub for innovation in the autonomous vehicle sector. From September 6 to 8, 2023, the Côte d’Azur will host industry experts in autonomous vehicles for the 22nd edition of the Driving Simulation & Virtual Reality Conference & Exhibition (DSC 2023).

Organized by the Driving Simulation Association, in collaboration with ENS Arts et Métiers and Université Gustave Eiffel, this conference brings together driving simulation experts from both the industrial and academic worlds, as well as simulation solution providers for autonomous vehicles.

After the 2022 edition which took place in Strasbourg, the conference returns to the Côte d’Azur, in Antibes, following a previous edition held in 2020.

This year, over 40 professional exhibitors will be present, and more than 300 participants are expected on-site, alongside online participation introduced in 2020 as part of a hybrid organization.

The main themes of the DSC 2023 conference

The 2023 edition of the DSC offers a comprehensive program with nearly 80 speakers during scientific sessions and presentations of industrial solutions, keynotes, and panel discussions.

Participants will have the opportunity to discover the latest trends in XIL (MIL, SIL, HIL, DIL, VIL, CIL) simulation and XR for the design of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), automotive human-machine interface, and driving simulation, as well as the validation and verification of connected and autonomous vehicles.

The topics covered include the state of the art in driving simulation technologies, research and development, progressively enriched by emerging developments in virtual and augmented reality (XR).

This year’s program also includes a special session on virtual validation and certification tools for autonomous and connected vehicles, as well as ADAS applications. Topics related to human factors and motion rendering will also be addressed during the conference.

The impact of the DSC on the Côte d’Azur autonomous vehicle ecosystem

The organization of DSC 2023 on the Côte d’Azur reflects the dynamism of the Côte d’Azur autonomous vehicle ecosystem. This conference is supported by the Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur (SVCA) initiative and SIA, and sponsored by ASAM, AV Simulation, Dassault Systèmes, Epic Games, MathWorks, and SystemX.

The event helps to enhance the visibility of the Côte d’Azur autonomous and intelligent vehicle ecosystem among international stakeholders and decision-makers in the automotive sector. It is part of the development of the Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur initiative, which aims to become a European cluster for autonomous and intelligent vehicles

The Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur initiative has successfully established a recurring event for autonomous vehicle professionals in the region, and has forged a strong partnership between the ecosystem and the Driving Simulation Association.

The organization of DSC 2023 on the Côte d’Azur is an acknowledgment of the skills present within the research laboratories and companies of the Côte d’Azur, as well as a recognition of the experimentation and innovation territories that are the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and the CASA.

According to Jean-François Chapperon, in charge of the SVCA initiative for Invest in Côte d’Azur – Team Nice Côte d’Azur, “This event, now biennial, alternates between the Côte d’Azur and a major European city, providing a platform to showcase our expertise on an international scale. The Côte d’Azur can proudly claim to be a major innovation hub for the automotive industry. By combining an experimentation territory with an innovative ecosystem, we perfectly meet the digital transformation needs of the automotive sector.”

The Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur initiative

Since its inception in 2017, the Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur initiative has grown to become a renowned European cluster for the development of autonomous and intelligent vehicles.

Today, it has over 70 members covering the entire value chain of the industry.

The Smart Vehicle Côte d’Azur initiative is designed to create a robust and innovative ecosystem around new mobilities. Among the participants are start-ups, major corporations, institutions, and academic organizations.

The project focuses on three main objectives:

Establish a mapping of stakeholders to structure and animate a complete value chain. This allows for connecting the various stakeholders, fostering collaborations, and promoting innovation within the ecosystem.
Promote the Côte d’Azur on a national and international scale as a “Smart Vehicle Valley”. The initiative aims to position the region as a primary hub for the development and implementation of intelligent and connected vehicles.
Create structuring projects and experimentation spaces to facilitate the deployment of new intelligent and connected mobility initiatives. This involves the development of infrastructures and testing facilities to support experimentation and innovation in mobility.