More than 200 experts meet on technology and efficient, safe and clean mobility

From digital twins to Artificial Intelligence, 14 presentations and 2 demonstrators have represented the innovation of a sector that invests 3.3% of its turnover in Innovation

The event was inaugurated by the Bizkaia Deputy for Infrastructures and Territorial Development, Carlos Alzaga, and the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Mobility and Sustainability of Bilbao City Council, Nora Abete

More than 200 participants attended the fifteenth edition of the ITS Euskadi Congress, the benchmark event in the Basque Country for the intelligent transport technologies, systems and solutions industry. The meeting was opened by the Deputy for Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Carlos Alzaga, and Nora Abete, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Mobility and Sustainability of Bilbao City Council, accompanied by Eduardo Lasa, President of the Mobility and Logistics Cluster of the Basque Country, the event’s organising association. The meeting was held at Itasmuseum, with the collaboration of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.

During the inauguration, Eduardo Lasa highlighted the value of innovation in an industry that brings together manufacturers, operators and developers of products, technology, systems and solutions for smarter mobility, i.e. safer, more efficient and cleaner. In fact, he said, ‘the mobility sector for people and goods, with 3.3% investment in R&D&I, is an innovation-intensive sector’, not in vain, it is immersed in a triple energy, digital and social transformation. The Cluster’s own activity has managed to bring more than 3 million euros in R&D&I aid to the Basque Country in the last five years.

Carlos Alzaga reviewed the work carried out in the Bizkaia Connected Corridor and announced a new work phase of the Infrastructure Innovation Plan. The evolution of the BCC will allow companies in the territory to test new solutions to advance in their development and competitiveness; and users to expand services with those that have already been validated.

For her part, Nora Abete highlighted the importance of turning cities into more human and sustainable spaces in order to live more and better. In this sense, she valued the first 5 months of implementation of the city’s Low Emission Zone, which has already enabled a 33% reduction in the number of polluting vehicles to be calculated. And he valued the company’s contribution to continue advancing towards smarter mobility.

Efficient mobility
The presentations were organised around the three objectives of Intelligent Mobility. From the technological perspective, firstly, efficiency-oriented issues were addressed. In this sense, the company We are Clickers offered a complete overview of the main areas in which Artificial Intelligence is transforming Mobility. Among them, he referred to concrete examples such as weather forecasting, route optimisation, predictive maintenance, demand prediction, etc.

Also in terms of technology linked to operational efficiency, the company Kapsch presented the V2X pilot project (vehicle connected to other elements) which allows the detection and prioritisation of the circulation of certain vehicles. This work is being developed with the Gasteiz City Council and Tuvisa.

For its part, Gertek presented the five different models of toll solutions applied in the Bilbao Metropolitan Southern Bypass. These models are an evolution from the traditional toll to the free flow (non-stop passage), which allow improving the service level of the lanes.

The intervention of the University of Deusto also focused on the optimisation of multimodal traffic management. In its case, it presented a project that provides all operators with information that facilitates decision-making for better joint operations.

The efficiency-oriented technological review ended with two presentations by Tecnalia. In the first, applying autonomous vehicle management to manoeuvres in depots, with services such as teleoperation, self-parking or the detection of vulnerable users. The second intervention complemented the remote driving station installed as an exhibition, where attendees were able to see and check how a vehicle located in Zamudio is operated from the Itsasmuseum foyer, where the Congress was held.

Clean mobility
The objective of environmental sustainability was presented under three headings. On the one hand, Sener presented the innovative Cairo Monorail project and how this sustainable transport solution is transforming urban mobility in one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

On the other hand, PTV Group defended how low-emission zones are a useful tool to calm traffic and improve the quality of life in urban areas. In this sense, it presented the specific case of London’s ULEZ, the ultra-low emission zone in which a modelling system makes it possible to evaluate and anticipate situations in order to facilitate decision-making.

Also in sustainability, but from an energy perspective, the Mobility and Logistics Cluster of the Basque Country presented the H2Cargo Bike project. This project proposes an innovative solution for last-mile urban distribution, through the use of an electric cargo quadricycle, powered by hydrogen and equipped with a system of interchangeable cylinders. During the intervention, the pilot project being developed in Donostia was detailed, in which the company Txita is operating a vehicle with these characteristics.

Safe mobility
In terms of safe mobility, two innovation projects were also presented. On the one hand, Estudios GIS presented its work with AI-enriched maps for use in connected vehicles, providing more precise positioning, including the evaluation and updating of vertical signage. On the other hand, Ingartek showed a work in which digital twins and artificial intelligence complement each other to improve road safety based on simulations, predictive analysis and early warnings.

In this area, Asimob defended the need to reinforce traditional road safety inspections, with the collection of data by autonomous road inspectors and their in-depth analysis. In this sense, it analysed the accident of 4 April in the Itzulia, concluding different levels of influence in terms of defects and irregularities in the pavement and the lack of safety barriers and escape routes at certain points.

The conferences were completed with presentations by ITS Spain and Leyton. In line with the relevance of innovation for the sector, highlighted at the opening by the Cluster President, Leyton presented the R&D Tax Lease financial device, its structuring and legal security, for the financing of projects through the assignment of tax credits, a lesser-known figure than direct aid but which represents an additional opportunity.

The Congress ended with the announcement of the next ITS European Congress, presented by ITS Spain. This event for the sector in Europe will be held in May 2025 in Seville.