Austrian firm Kapsch TrafficCom is supporting the German government’s plan, announced this month, to adopt a national strategy for autonomous and connected driving.

The country wants to lead in implementing modern mobility, and has developed a strategy that paves the way for autonomous and connected driving and to benefit from the opportunities these advancements offer.

C-ITS (cooperative intelligent transport systems) technology will play a crucial role in this, as it is the key enabler for connecting vehicles and infrastructure.

Kapsch TrafficCom has been developing this technology for many years and is involved in the creation and development of harmonised standards. The company’s technology is being deployed on German motorways for construction site warnings, highlighting its role as a technology developer.

C-ITS technology can be used to analyse and manage traffic flows in real time, to enable emergency vehicles to influence traffic light sequences automatically, and to issue accident or congestion warnings directly to vehicles.

The strategy (bmdv.bund.de/SharedDocs/DE/Publikationen/DG/die-zukunft-faehrt-autonom.html) places a particular focus on public transport, which serves as a driver of innovation for autonomous systems. In this case, better networking can help increase the efficiency of the transport network and thus boost the attractiveness of public transport; after all, it takes just a few equipped vehicles to improve the overall traffic situation significantly.

Kapsch TrafficCom actively supports Germany’s efforts to advance the EU-wide and international harmonisation of standards for autonomous and connected driving. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of communication standards and applications for use in emergency situations. The widespread introduction of such systems could significantly increase the acceptance and use of autonomous systems while reducing environmental pollution.

Kapsch TrafficCom provides transportation technology for sustainable mobility with projects in more than 50 countries. Innovations in the application fields of tolling, tolling services, traffic management and demand management can contribute to a healthy world without congestion.

Kapsch TrafficCom (www.kapsch.net), headquartered in Vienna, has subsidiaries and branches in more than 25 countries. In its 2023/24 financial year, about 4000 employees generated revenues of €539m.