The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Compañía Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) have signed an EUR 80 million loan agreement to finance the company’s research, development and innovation – RD&I programme.
This EIB financing will enable CAF to invest in digitalisation, autonomous mobility solutions and energy efficiency of trains and buses. The project will help accelerate the transformation of a sector key to economic growth and reducing emissions.
The RD&I investments will be made in CAF’s centres in Spain and Poland driving research, development, and innovation in autonomous mobility and energy efficiency for trains and buses. The project is expected to strengthen competitiveness in the EU industrial landscape and help meet market demands for skilled employment in urban and interurban transport sectors.
CAF develops comprehensive urban mobility solutions using trains and buses. Its RD&I programme focuses on applications for advanced technologies to mobility, to upgrade the sector and make it more sustainable.
The project is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of the European industrial fabric and foster skilled employment in the urban and interurban transport sector to meet market demands.
The financing agreement supports technological innovation, cohesion and environmental sustainability – three of the EIB’s eight core priorities set out in the EIB Group 2024-2027 Strategic Roadmap. In the area of technological innovation, the project serves the TechEU initiative, the EIB Group’s programme to accelerate EU innovation, which aims to mobilise EUR 250 billion in investments by 2027 for startups, scale-ups and innovative companies across Europe.
CAF’s R&D programme positions the company at the forefront of railway modernisation by seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with environmental responsibility and urban integration. Their unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation guarantees that cities worldwide can enjoy public transport solutions that are efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and built to stand the test of time.
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