The project "Safe and COnnected aUtomation in road Transport" (SCOUT) aims at identifying pathways for an accelerated proliferation of safe and connected high-degree automated driving in Europe, taking into account user needs and expectations, technical and non-technical gaps and risks, viable business models as well as international cooperation and competition. The analysis will start from a thorough consideration of the concerns and expectations from the perspectives of users, suppliers of the technology and experiences from projects and field tests. Alternative strategies for the implementation of automated driving will then be developed, under due consideration of different innovation cycles in the related industries (automotive, telecom, infrastructure, services) and the pending challenges regarding framework conditions (legal, testing & validation, safety & security). With regard to the perceived use cases for connected automation in road transport, technical und non-technical gaps and risks for the implementation will be identified, assessed and ranked. In parallel, sustainable business models will be identified with particular emphasis on the role of digitization, connectivity and data-driven business cases. Advice for policies and regulatory frameworks for safe and connected automation will then be derived on the basis of the aforementioned analyses with the support of a network of relevant stakeholders, and subsumed into a common roadmap aiming to implement the formulated vision for "Safe and connected automation in 2030". The results will be communicated to and discussed with policymakers, stakeholders and the general public at a multitude of opportunities. International trends and results of European funded projects will be closely monitored and reflected in the strategy development process.