Steinbeis assesses obstacles and enablers of new systems as part of EU NEWBITS project
Less highway traffic, improved transportation on the roads, along waterways, and in the air – all made possible by intelligent transportation systems, a key technology in improving the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of freight forwarding. The abbreviation ITS is used to refer to a host of technologies and applications aimed at maximizing the ability of different modes of transportation to interact with one another by networking data communication. The technical foundations for collaborative ITS services have already been laid and developed in Europe, but one major challenge still remains: how to systematically introduce the solutions to the market. The problem is, there is still no effective business model. Steinbeis 2i GmbH aims to do something about this as part of a Horizon 2020 project called NEWBITS (New Business Models for ITS). It has joined forces with different partners to assess obstacles and enabling factors.
The project team started by looking at different market segments, including advanced travel information systems, the very latest traffic routing systems, modern transportation pricing systems, advanced public transportation systems, and collaborative vehicle technology. The results have been published in a bulletin called D2.2 – Assessment of Main Barriers and KPIs for the Implementation of ITS Services.
As the evaluation showed, there are an insufficient number of business models and a lack of political priority-setting. There also needs to be closer collaboration between the various stakeholders. A further obstacle is the lack of interoperability between services. This contrasts to one enabler that transcends all markets: a discernible improvement in political commitment. The growing popularity of mobility-as-a-service offerings, the increasing number of public-private partnerships, and closer involvement of end users are important enablers of ITS services.
The bulletin underscores the changes that are expected to affect these barriers and enablers, which are shaped by trends such as urbanization, growing awareness of sustainability, new technologies, demographic change, and a rise in demand for multimodal transportation. According to the project partners, these trends could fuel stronger political commitment and more appealing business models. There is a website for people interested in the topic to enter directly into dialog with others.