TURIN, Oct 3 (Reuters) - European Commission President

Ursula von der Leyen called on Friday for a continent-wide push

to develop self-driving cars, saying artificial intelligence

could help revive the region's struggling automotive sector and

improve road safety.

Speaking at the Italian Tech Week in Turin, Italy's

automotive hub, von der Leyen urged the European Union to adopt

an "AI first" strategy across strategic industries, with a

focus on mobility.

"Self-driving cars are already a reality in the United

States and China. The same should be true here in Europe," she

said, adding that "AI first" also meant "safety first".

Her remarks come as Brussels seeks to bolster industrial

competitiveness, while local automakers struggle to keep up with

foreign technology development, particularly by China and the

United States.

Amazon ( AMZN ) founder Jeff Bezos and Turin-based Ferrari

and Stellantis ( STLA ) Chairman John Elkann were

also among the speakers at Italian Tech Week.

Von der Leyen proposed forming a network of European cities

to pilot autonomous vehicles, saying 60 Italian mayors had

already expressed interest.

"Let us make it happen," she added.

The EU chief also pledged the bloc's support for developing

vehicles "made in Europe, and made for European streets".

The automotive industry, which employs millions across

Europe, is transforming rapidly amid pressure to decarbonise and

digitise. Von der Leyen said AI could help reduce congestion,

link remote areas to public transport, and preserve jobs.

"The future of cars - and the cars of the future - must be

made in Europe," she said.