The second Drive2Transform Policy Forum took place online on 24 March 2026, bringing together policymakers, industry practitioners and project stakeholders from more than nine Central European regions. Organised by the Regional Development Agency of the Pilsen Region and the Cluster Mobility & Logistics (TechBase Regensburg), the session was moderated by Filip Uhlík, Director of the Regional Development Agency Pilsen. Building on the strategic analysis shared during the opening session in February, this edition focused on the EU’s concrete automotive policy response, a regional perspective from the European Committee of the Regions, a practical municipal car sharing use case, and EU-level SME support tools.
Lorena Ionita and Giuseppe Marotta from the European Commission’s DG GROW delivered the keynote, presenting the full scope of the EU’s automotive industrial policy. They outlined the Automotive Action Plan (March 2025), the Automotive Package (December 2025) and the Industrial Accelerator Act (March 2026), covering the Battery Booster Strategy with its €1.5 billion loan facility, the revised CO2 emission standards with new flexibilities and super credits for EU-made small electric vehicles, the Small Affordable Cars Initiative introducing a new M1E vehicle subcategory, “Made in EU” content requirements for vehicles and batteries, regulatory simplification through the Automotive Omnibus, and cross-border testbeds for autonomous driving. The Q&A touched on topics such as ensuring genuine value creation through EU-origin requirements, the economic viability of battery recycling in Europe, and the need for a harmonised regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles.
Rudolf Špoták, former Governor of the Pilsen Region and Member of the European Committee of the Regions, provided the regional perspective. He highlighted the Pilsen Region’s heavy automotive dependency, the dual pressures of intensifying global competition and shifting international trade dynamics, the importance of EU Cohesion Policy, and the urgent need for workforce reskilling – while stressing the region’s strong technical heritage as a foundation for adaptation.
A practical highlight came from Kateřina Duchková, Mayor of Město Touškov, and Patrik Bureš, CEO of the Czech startup PeopleCar. They presented a community-based electric car sharing pilot in which the municipality shares two EVs between staff and citizens via a digital platform. Launched in October 2024, the system now serves over 120 registered users in a town of just 2,400 inhabitants – demonstrating that demand for shared electric mobility exists even in small municipalities. Jana Jeřábková from BIC Plzeň rounded off the programme with a presentation on the Enterprise Europe Network and its support services for automotive SMEs, including the upcoming CEE Automotive Supply Chain matchmaking event in Žilina, Slovakia (November 2026).
The Policy Forum on 24 March was the second of three sessions. The final edition will take place on 28 April 2026 (14:00–16:00 CET), again with expert contributions and open discussion in the European policy context. Invitations will follow shortly. Presentations will be shared with all participants, and a feedback survey will help shape the final session’s agenda. We thank all speakers and participants for the engaged and productive exchange.
Drive2Transform (CE0200679) is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Europe Programme.