Connectivity and information sharing for intelligent mobility

Topic description

Scope:

Specific challenge: The complexity of the travel experience for individuals, including the difficulties associated with analysing and negotiating multiple available options/services, accessing the right information at the right time, and tackling the different needs of logistics services and operations, has increased significantly over the past years becoming ever more challenging and stressful.

The challenge is to come up with new, efficient, affordable, safe, secure and accessible solutions taking advantage of the ever growing connectivity of people and objects, the availability of European GNSS based location, the advances in cloud computing, big, linked and open data and the propagation of Internet and social media, that will help solve the mobility problems European citizens and businesses are facing today. Indeed, 'Big Data' management (availability, collection, storage, distribution and use) will progressively become a major challenge in intelligent transport communications as will the wider issues related to data ownership, user acceptance and privacy concerns.

Scope: Proposals could address one or several of the following activities:

      Measures to improve and maximise the availability and (cross-border/cross-system) interoperability of transport data, fostering open data policy, definition and monitoring of data quality, while considering data security and integrity related challenges to enable an open market for mobility as a service.

      Communication network architectures and solutions for real-time information exchange; new generation forecasting models to deliver high-quality traffic and travel information as well as business services to support travellers.

      Green driving support systems; active traffic management based on European GNSS location data; solutions for integrated, customised and accessible mobility services for various end-users with robust built-in predictive analytics capabilities and ways to utilise these solutions to induce positive behavioural changes in citizens to opt for more eco-friendly choices etc.

The work should extend well beyond a purely technology-driven perspective and needs to include a comprehensive understanding of the relevant market structures and business segmentation, including the identification of the key drivers and barriers that shape technology development. The integration of social media for data crowd sourcing and increasing user engagement and acceptance is core for success. Stakeholders from all sectors along the value chain have to be involved. The proposed solutions should be tested in real life conditions to prove the concepts' validity and business case.

Establishment of the right regulatory/legal framework as well as standardisation issues should, where appropriate, build on what has been developed and is operational in the various transport modes used in the logistical chain.

In line with the Union's strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation[1] international cooperation is encouraged.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 5 to 8 million each would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact:

      Unlocking the potential of vast amounts of transport data and solving problems related to transmission, interoperability, storage, processing and security.

      Provision of new environmentally-friendly mobility solutions for European citizens, reducing the commuting times and improving transport system's quality and accessibility and utilisation.

      Alleviating congestion, reducing pollution levels and emergency-response times.

Type of action: Research and Innovation Actions

[1]     COM(2012)497

Socio-economic science and humanities
International cooperation