The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Compañía Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) have signed an €80 million loan agreement to finance CAF’s research, development, and innovation (RD&I) programme. The financing will support the company’s efforts to modernize the mobility sector and make it more sustainable by applying advanced technologies to trains and buses. CAF develops comprehensive urban mobility solutions, and this investment focuses on digitalization, autonomous mobility, and energy efficiency to enhance the sector’s sustainability and performance.
The RD&I investments will take place at CAF centres in Spain and Poland, promoting research, development, and innovation in autonomous mobility and energy-efficient solutions for urban and interurban transport. The project is expected to strengthen competitiveness within the European Union’s industrial landscape while supporting skilled employment in the mobility sector.
This financing aligns with the EIB’s strategic priorities of technological innovation, cohesion, and climate action. The project is part of the TechEU initiative, the EIB Group’s programme aimed at accelerating innovation in Europe. TechEU seeks to mobilize €250 billion in investments by 2027 to support startups, scale-ups, and innovative companies, with a focus on boosting sustainability and advancing the digital transformation of critical sectors like mobility.