How can authorities be enablers in the deployment of CCAM? An experienced-based expert study from Norway

Abstract

Despite extensive literature on transport planning, research has so far been sparse in exploring the socio-political aspects of transport innovations, which is particularly scarce within the emerging Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) literature. This study sets out to assess how the public administration in the transport authorities in Norway perceive CCAM and what they see as the drivers and barriers for CCAM deployment. Our analysis is based on a unique combination of different data collection methods: interviews, survey and workshop, a mixed-method approach using a stepwise-deductive induction research design. The research design is tailored to understand individuals working with deploying CCAM policies in the public administration, an issue that is not well understood today because research is lacking. We investigate both how they perceive the deployment of CCAM, and how they suggest that the public sector should work to act as enablers of deployment of CCAM. The most prominent drivers identified in the analysis are competence, followed by cooperation, while the most prominent barriers are resources and technical maturity. Political steering and regulations are considered as being neither drivers nor barriers. Based on our results we provide three policy recommendations: first, there is a need for more clear and powerful strategies, second, there is a need to increase focus on learning-oriented approaches, and three, a need to expand cooperation and interest across the organizations.