Shaping the Future of Autonomous and Connected Mobility.
The UTAC Challenge is the first European competition held in a real-world environment, dedicated to future autonomous, cleaner & safer mobility. It focuses on the partial or complete design of vehicles, as well as systems and functions related to future mobility. Demonstrations can be dynamic, static, or virtual (using simulation tools).
Organized under the aegis and with the support of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SIA), this annual competition is open to projects from universities, engineering schools, technical institutes and startups worldwide. Its goal is to engage participating teams in the partial or complete design of a vehicle or functions related to autonomy and safety, with performance evaluated by a panel of expert judges.
2026 edition
A testing ground for key topics
- Active safety (ADAS) and driver assistance
- Autonomous and intelligent driving
- Artificial intelligence applied to mobility
- Ecomobility and digital sobriety
- Cybersecurity
How is the challenge organized?
- Candidates can present the complete or partial design of a vehicle, or innovative systems.
Demonstrations can be dynamic, static, or immersive simulations.
→ The application file must be sent to this address: utacchallenge@utac.com
6 different challenges are proposed
- Automated Urban: Autonomous driving on a 1 to 2 km urban route (roundabouts, traffic lights, detection and reaction to random pedestrians).
- Automated Highway: Autonomous driving over 4.5 km on the highway with traffic sign management.
- Automated Parking: Autonomous parking (angle, perpendicular, parallel) with obstacle detection and safe stopping.
- Safer Challenge: Open demonstration on topics related to autonomous driving, cybersecurity, AI, ADAS, connectivity, etc.
- Cleaner Challenge: Showcase of innovations reducing environmental impact (energy, materials, software, retrofit, life cycle, etc.).
- Online Challenge: open to non-French teams in the Safer and Cleaner categories
2026 Sponsors
In 2026, CIL4SYS, NBTECH, IPG Automotive, and DSPACE have once again placed their trust in us by supporting the UTAC Challenge and all its participants. Their commitment reflects a shared ambition to promote innovation, technical excellence, and the training of tomorrow’s engineers.
By becoming a sponsor of the UTAC Challenge 2026, your company will be part of a meaningful and forward-looking initiative, while gaining visibility among promising young talent and key players in the automotive sector.
Why not you? Join the adventure today!
Contact: utacchallenge@utac.com
Partnerships
