ERTICO – ITS Europe welcomes new Partner ROBOTIKER-TECNALIA. Alberto Peña Manager of ITS systems R&D area and Lucia Isasi responsible for Integrated Safety at ROBOTIKER-TECNALIA describe the company’s activities and its expectations from the ERTICO partnership.

ERTICO: Can you describe your activities in the ITS field?

There are several TECNALIA business units relevant to ERTICO all of them part of ROBOTIKER-TECNALIA. The Automotive business unit will be directly in contact with ERTICO and is specialised in virtual and physical testing of ICT-based preventive safety systems alternative power train and on-board ambient intelligence systems application. In addition the Telecom business unit specialised in the development of onboard wireless and wireline connectivity systems and the Infotech business unit focused on logistics and the industrial sector tourism and entertainment also complement ERTICO.

ROBOTIKER-TECNALIA is involved with several national and European ITS projects for example NCV2015 VERDE eValue eCoMove SARTRE  and CityElec. NCV2015 has as its objective to demonstrate that information coming from C2x cooperative communications can optimise the energy management system of vehicles. In VERDE ROBOTIKER TECNALIA will define algorithms to improve energy management for future electric vehicles as well as research on electrical components and is a perfect example of ROBOTIKER-TECNALIA building on its research knowledge base and then cooperating with industry to bring products to market. eVALUE aims to define objective methods for the assessment of active safety systems and will conclude in 2010. CityElec which started in August 2009 is focused on the research of key elements both in vehicle and infrastructure for new concepts (sometimes radical) of electrified mobility on urban environment; it includes over 30 Spanish partners.

ERTICO: Why have you joined ERTICO?

A significant number of TECNALIA’s customers and partners are companies working in the Automotive sector in cooperation with ICT intensive industries demanding innovative technological solutions in engineering software systems services and security. TECNALIA’s business is the development of technologies and transfer of these solutions establishing strategic partnerships with the companies. We have a leading position in significant areas of software/systems engineering where we are a recognised institution at international level.

TECNALIA’s main motivation in joining ERTICO is to extend its influence in developing the European research agenda in ITS systems and to introduce its technology transfer perspective. TECNALIA’s primary focus will be not only in technology development with a strong market orientation but also on disseminating ERTICO’s activities into other domains and industrial sectors which are addressed by other TECNALIA business units and into other countries and regions extending technological innovation through its world-wide network of research centres and commercial partners.

In addition the ERTICO working environment the focus on the exchanging of ideas and inspiration cooperation with high profile partners and projects just as eCoMove all fit well with TECNALIA’s strengths and philosophy.

ERTICO: What are your expectations for this partnership?

TECNALIA is very interested in participating in the working groups in creating and participating in new FP7 proposals in making the eCoMove project a success and in increasing its European presence.

With one leg in Spain and another leg in Europe TECNALIA will be well balanced.

ERTICO is the partner to help do all of this.

ERTICO: Are there any projects activities or sectors that you are particularly interested in?

Apart from the eCoMove project preventive safety is very much a topic of interest so the SafeMobility sector is relevant here. Energy efficiency is also very important for TECNALIA so the EcoMobility sector is also of interest.

 

Company Profile: Tecnalia

TECNALIA is a technological corporation created in 2001 by the joining of seven technology centres: Azti ESI Fatronik Inasmet Labein Neiker and Robotiker. All the centres share common operating model based on twenty sector-focused multi-disciplinary business units grouped into seven areas.

  • Health and Quality of life
  • Sustainable Development
  • Natural Resources
  • Innovation and competitiveness
  • Transport and mobility
  • Industrial systems and processes
  • Information and Communication Technologies

From the beginning of 2011 six of technology centres will merge into one enterprise giving birth to Spain’s largest private R&D centre and Europe’s fifth largest with over 1300 staff and a turnover of over 110 million euros. This new enterprise will remain integrated in TECNALIA. However its increased size will permit a wholly new level of strategic research as well as access to new clients most notably on the international level. Click here for further information on this (Spanish only).

TECNALIA is based in the Basque Country Spain an area with a long automotive and industrial history. The move into ITS came about as part of a drive to increase value moving on from the traditional part and component manufacturing. Work started on cooperative communications in 2005 and in 2007 work started on the eValue project with the aim to define objective methods for the assessment of active safety systems.

In the same year TECNALIA recognised the importance of ecological ITS research and is involved in national projects to reduce fuel consumption. One of them NCV2015 has its objective to demonstrate that information coming from C2x cooperative communications can optimise the energy management system of vehicles. TECNALIA presented its latest results at the 2009 SAE Conference showing a fuel reduction of 20 % based on simulation. Physical tests will start in 2010.

TECNALIA is active internationally being part of the industrial liaison programme of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) having offices in six continents from the Americas to Australasia. As in 2008 figures TECNALIA is part of 78 projects on the 7FP leading 11 of them and adding up to €25.7 M in returns.

Link to original Article

http://www.ertico.com/the-ertico-december-interview/

Original Publication Date: Sat 24 Jul 2010