Here we are in 2019, heralding new beginnings and a renewed commitment to pursue ERTICO’s aims and objectives. January brings with it the excitement of opportunity. It is in fact a month of beginnings and a celebration of possibilities, as we resume our activities following the holiday break. Here are some of our professional resolutions for 2019.

Here at ERTICO, there is one word that ultimately defines us and will continue to define us in 2019 – Partnership!
We will continue to give value, provide global cooperation possibilities and act as a reliable knowledge source for current, future and potential Partners. We are striving to develop a network that stretches across Europe and beyond to facilitate ITS solutions on a grand scale. 

ERTICO is resolved to be a driving force for change in 2019 for industry, public authorities and research who strive for the future progress of smart mobility.
This year, we will do this in particular through the ITS European Congress in Eindhoven and the ITS World Congress in Singapore, as well as the many events that we as an organisation initiate such as the Focus On workshops, THINK TANK and visionary briefings.

Change is inevitable when you want to move forward, this year we are looking at key ways ERTICO can deliver on change through our Innovation and deployment.
It is important that we continue to reach out to our target groups and spread the word on the benefits of ITS for mobility.

In 2019, ERTICO will continue to build on its established collaboration with China, promoting the exchange of knowhow and organising site visits in both Europe and China.
In 2018, following a very productive visit to Beijing and Shanghai, ERTICO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and initiated a new Joint Innovation Centre at the ITS World Congress in Copenhagen. The focus of this new China-Europe ITS Joint Innovation Centre will be on connected and automated driving, Mobility as a Service, smart cities, freight transport and logistics.

This year ERTICO will ignite its collaboration with startups active in the field of mobility.
The Startup Initiative will be mutually beneficial, with startups benefiting from ERTICO’s extensive knowledge and experience whilst providing us with their fresh insight on marketing, their new ideas and breakthrough concepts. More information on this dynamic project will be made available in the months leading to the ITS European Congress in Eindhoven.

ERTICO’s activities and our projects in smart mobility are where we are determined to deliver even better results in 2019.

In the Connected and Automated Driving area, ERTICO remains committed to push forward automation and connectivity in order to continue moving towards safer and smarter mobility. 2019 will see ERTICO continuing to pave the way for the convergence of C-ITS, cellular connectivity and automated vehicles. In 2019 ERTICO will also pursue its ambition to instigate a total re-think of our future mobility options together with road infrastructure.

In Clean Mobility, NeMo (Hyper-Network for Electromobility) will complete its activities with validation of the hyper-network including a hackathon and cross-country test drive, thus demonstrating roaming capabilities for electric vehicle charging and other e-mobility services. Interested associate Partners may join to participate in a future Business Alliance for Electromobility. In spring, the ELVITEN project will begin its one-year demonstration of light electric vehicle sharing schemes in 6 European cities.

In Urban Mobility, we will support cities in the efficient deployment of digital solutions and facilitate the improved interoperability of services, which contributes in the long term to the creation of scalable solutions and businesses. Trainings in ITS-related topics are planned to support ERTICO Partners‘ local activities. MaaS and related developments towards multimodal mobility solutions will be high on the agenda. We will also back the revision of SUMP (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans) Guidelines.

In Transport and Logistics we aim to continue the digitalisation process of transport networks and infrastructure to increase interoperability, connectivity, facilitate supply chain management and overcome market fragmentation whilst making better use of existing resources. We will implement the newest technologies (AI, Bid Data, IoT, Cloud, Automation, Drones) and smart solutions to achieve seamless logistics and freight transport by 2030.

There is a tangible excitement at ERTICO about what 2019 will bring, and all of us here look forward to work with our veteran, new and potential Partners to continue shaping intelligent mobility together. I wish you a very productive and prosperous 2019.