Autonomous mobility players all over the world experience challenging times when it comes to start tests and run pilots. And some times technical problems are not the biggest ones. They need Institutions to open experimentation, regulatory bodies to approve, connectivity and control centers, the right use case, the budget, and a series of partners to manage vehicles, services, and maintenances.

So far, few countries around the world have deeply invested to attract investments, and dialogue with industry players to work together and develop the regulatory framework and the recent KPMG Autonomous mobility index has given a broad overview of the best regions.

But something positive (and I would say unusual) is happening in Italy. The Government is focused on introducing new measures to boost the economy post-Covid and innovative technologies are a key part of the puzzle. A few days ago the “Simplification Decree” has been published to the “Official Journal” and becomes an effective law (to be further converted in the next 60 days by Parliament.. but still valid). The law contains one article giving life to the “right of innovation”. Basically, it is allowed to test new technologies even in the absence of specific regulation, through individual approval to be provided in a few weeks timeframe by the competent government Office  (on purpose-focused within the innovation Ministry).

This is a huge game-changer for the country because from an environment perspective Italy already has many pre-requisite fitting autonomous mobility, (big and medium cities, close distances, different use cases, large manufacturing and small-medium enterprises, high competence in automotive and a high-quality connectivity network). the absence of any regulatory framework was actually blocking the innovation, but now the last and tollest wall fell down. 

It’s time to consider the country as the right place to test and prove Autonomy can play a significant role in driving the change of the mobility industry.  I look forward to hearing business friends and partners deepen new ideas.