“Connected Mobility” launches in Spain
- By 2024: 60 kilometers of highway near Bilbao to be digitized
- Vehicles will receive real-time information on weather, accidents, road works or traffic jams
Vienna/Madrid, June 22, 2023 – Spain is set to witness the implementation of one of the country's first intelligent highways, as Kapsch TrafficCom secures the green light for a Connected Vehicle project. By 2024, a 60-kilometer stretch of the A8 freeway near Bilbao will undergo digitization, thanks to the hardware and software provided by Kapsch TrafficCom, a global leader in Connected Vehicle technology.
Once completed, this innovative infrastructure will enable vehicles with active connectivity to receive real-time information on critical aspects such as weather conditions, accidents, road works, traffic jams, obstacles on the road, and speed limits. Furthermore, drivers will have the ability to contribute information to the system themselves.
Carolin Treichl, Executive Vice President of Europe, Middle East, and North Africa (EMENA) at Kapsch TrafficCom, highlights the immense safety potential of this connected infrastructure: “By facilitating the swift transmission of critical information, such as the presence of road works, accidents, or hazards, we can prevent accidents, reduce congestion and enhance the overall efficiency of the road. This milestone project is a crucial first step towards shaping the roads of the future.”
Progress is already underway with initial tests of the system, made possible by a joint investment from the provincial government of Bizkaia and the renowned Basque technology center Tecnalia Research and Innovation.
Connected Vehicles technology at Kapsch TrafficCom
As part of the project, Kapsch TrafficCom has installed 25 “roadside units” along the designated highway, acting as key points for receiving and distributing information between vehicles and the control center via wireless technology. Additionally, Kapsch TrafficCom is supplying the control software necessary for managing and monitoring the Connected Vehicle environment. This software not only enables direct communication with networked vehicles but also provides real-time traffic data to the control center, enabling efficient decision-making and traffic management.
Kapsch TrafficCom has an impressive track record of designing, implementing, and operating successful Connected Vehicle projects in various countries worldwide. With unrivaled global experience, Kapsch TrafficCom continues to lead the way in revolutionizing the future of mobility.
Kapsch TrafficCom is a globally renowned provider of transportation solutions for sustainable mobility with successful projects in more than 50 countries. Innovative solutions in the application fields of tolling, tolling services, traffic management and demand management contribute to a healthy world without congestion.
With one-stop-shop solutions, the company covers the entire value chain of customers, from components to design and implementation to the operation of systems.
Kapsch TrafficCom, headquartered in Vienna, has subsidiaries and branches in more than 25 countries and is listed in the Prime Market segment of the Vienna Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: KTCG). In its 2022/23 financial year, about 4,000 employees generated revenues of EUR 553 million.