ERTICO eMagazine - April 2012

Welcome to the new ERTICO - ITS Europe

In this issue:

From Development to Deployment:How EU co-funded

research leads to profitable products

ITS interoperability testing events:a new way

to make business Interview with:

Ramiro Quintero, FICOSA

April 2012

contents 2

Welcome!

3

From development to deployment: How EU co-funded research leads to profitable products

6

ITS interoperability testing events: a new way to make business

9

Next interoperability events

10 Interview with: Ramiro Quintero, FICOSA

Welcome to our new eMagazine!

ERTICO - ITS Europe is thrilled

production;

to introduce the first issue of its

interoperability testing events and

new eMagazine. This publication

discover what happens during these

represents a significant departure

unique

from the i-Mobility Newsletter of old.

examine the role of EU co-funding in

We have designed it to appeal to our

product research and development,

readership with exclusive content on

tracing the origins of ERTICO Partner

specific ITS topics. The eMagazine

PEEK Traffic’s new cooperative ITS

contains original feature articles,

platform through FREILOT back to

exclusive interviews and the latest

CVIS. Last but not least, you will

event reports. As always, ERTICO

find the interview with new ERTICO

aims to bring you the highest quality

Partner FICOSA a Spanish industrial

news and information from a fresh

group

perspective.

research, development, production

we

events.

and

a

will

In

investigate

addition,

global

leader

we

in

and marketing of systems and parts This first issue features an in depth look

at

interoperability

for the automotive industry.

testing,

an essential part in the process

We are grateful to everyone who was

of

involved in the editorial process,

equipment

development

and

our articles and interviews wouldn’t have been possible without their precious collaboration. We hope that our readers will find the magazine stimulating as we do and as always, we wish you happy reading!

The Editorial Team

3

From development to deployment: How EU co-funded research leads to profitable products

by Nicolas White Photograph © European Union, 2012

“There is a first sanity check if the EU is involved. They won’t get involved if they don’t see it as being feasible” says Remi Tops, the new business manager at PEEK. We were talking about PEEK’s recently launched cooperative Intelligent Transport System (ITS) platform, the first commercially available product of its kind. Unveiled in December 2011, PEEK says that it will increase road safety, reduce CO2 emissions and crucially for commercial fleet operators, could cut fuel consumption by 20%.

Indeed,

according

to

Willem

However, while the very core of

The true strength of the CVIS project

of

the idea might be found in CVIS,

lay, not in what it specifically

Peek Netherlands they will allow

the involvement of EU co-funded

developed, but in what it provided

‘intelligent communication between

research was not limited to that one

for

vehicles as well as between vehicles

project. The story of the development

foundation of the CVIS project was

and roadside systems’. The origins

of the first commercially available

the development of a cooperative

of PEEK’s cooperative platform are

cooperative ITS platform is firmly one

system architecture, something that

to be found deep within EU funded

of the successes of EU involvement in

brought

research projects. The concept and

research and development.

vehicles and applications together in

Hartman,

Managing

Director

the core of the technologies being used having been developed through the

CVIS

(Cooperative

Infrastructure

Systems)

Vehicleproject,

started in 2006 and concluded in 2010.

Considered to be the ‘mother’ of all cooperative ITS projects, CVIS set out to explore the possibilities that new technologies in Vehicle-ToInfrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-ToVehicle (V2V) offered with regard to tackling Europe’s urban transport

Cooperative systems, it is hoped, will revolutionise traffic management and the way we navigate city streets

challenges. In so doing, it hoped to ‘completely re-engineer how drivers, vehicles,

goods

and

transport

interact’. The project defined and

future

developments.

roadside

The

infrastructure,

a unified and open system. Key to this was the development of hardware for

both

vehicles

infrastructure.

and

roadside

CVIS developed a

standard that would allow all parts of the system to communicate with each other seamlessly, whether over an infrared connection, a 3g mobile data connection or 802.11p wireless (akin to the wifi found in most homes and offices).

developed a variety of technologies

The hardware, however, is simply the

that work together to achieve this goal.

foundation of what makes cooperative

systems so valuable in dealing with

must be able to communicate with

the problems of overstretched road

the other parts. Therefore, PEEK’s

networks

new platform is compatible with the

and

gridlocked

traffic.

The open architecture developed and tested by the CVIS project allows for third party developers to build software applications and platforms on top of it, enhancing its functionality and adapting it to new and specific situations.

new 802.11p draft standard.

The value of the development and testing carried out through the CVIS project, which was co-funded under the

European

Commission’s

6th

Framework Programme was clear, at least from a technical point of

Applications that formed part of the

view. Open standards for application

CVIS project include such things as

development proved so successful

intersection priority management,

that developers from outside the

giving,

project

for

example,

emergency

consortium

got

involved

vehicles or public transport priority

in the CVIS Application Contest,

at intersections; a safety application

developing, submitting and even

that can update road users on crucial

deploying their applications on the

pieces of information related to their

CVIS platform.

journey such as traffic conditions, speed limits and the weather ahead as well as applications that offer strategic routing for vehicles, which draw information from central traffic management centres and draws it to create optimised routes for drivers so that they are able to reach their destination in the most efficient way possible, reducing travel times and easing urban congestion.

CVIS’ legacy can clearly be seen in PEEK’s

new

cooperative

ITS platform. Indeed, a

number

of

research projects

City authorities are faced with political and economic challenges related to the increase in road use and congestion Policy goals for cities tend to run in the vein of both managing the problem of increased congestion while also promoting green economic growth, healthy and safe urban living and happy citizens. Indeed, the city of Copenhagen, for example, has a stated goal of being the first carbon neutral capital city in the world. At a recent ERTICO forum on ITS for Urban Mobility, Steffen Rasmussen,

What CVIS did that is so hard to

Head of Traffic Design Department

do outside the realm of publicly

for the City of Copenhagen explained

financed

was

how this goal, alongside others

incentivise the development of open

such as promoting walking, making

and accessible platforms. All too

the city a centre for world climate

often, companies develop innovative

policy, making Copenhagen the best

solutions that, while they look good

city for cycling and promoting more

on paper, and often deliver great

and better use of the city’s public

results,

perfectly

spaces could be tackled thanks to the

interoperable with other services.

deployment of ITS solutions such as

Termed ‘walled gardens’ they often

cooperative systems.

research

are

projects

less

than

represent a significant barrier to future developments as

CVIS led to the development of

not

technologies that could help cities

to

achieve their urban mobility goals.

replace them in

However, there is a large disconnect

customers want

do

to

pay

development

of

development of

functionality or

technologies

the

integrate a new

deployment as successful products.

service.

CVIS’

Enter FREILOT, an EU co-funded

openness

gave

project

which of:

consists a

roadside

router, a roadside

add

the

order

platform,

to

between

have led to the

public authorities,

that

and

was

their

eventual

focussed

on

real world testing of some of the

operators,

technologies developed in the CVIS

public transport companies

project. Crucially, this testing put

software and a management and

and consumers a flexible and largely

the technologies in the hands of

control web application that can

future proofed service.

those that would eventually use such

host, a vehicle router, a vehicle host, android

freight

services on a commercial basis: freight

be configured and managed from a remote location. Each element of

Cooperative systems were developed

operators and public authorities. In

the platform is required for the new

as a response to the needs of public

addition to this testing, the FREILOT

cooperative system and each element

and city authorities.

project was designed in order to find

how exactly the business models for

intersection priority system has led

the commercial deployment of such

to the city of Helmond considering

technologies would work.

closing its second fire station as fire

As Remi Tops of PEEK explained, FREILOT was needed ‘to find out what the value perception of a product was for customers’. In essence, FREILOT served as a trial run for technologies

5

engines from one station now have

Copenhagen achieve another first; to

the ability to travel to all parts of the

be the first CO2 neutral capital city

city much faster. Thanks solely to the

in the world.

intersection priority system having been deployed.

such as road intersection priority,

FREILOT was, according to Remi

freight delivery space booking and

Tops,

driver assistance systems to promote

development of business models for

better fuel economy. Throughout the

cooperative mobility solutions such

project stakeholders did not have to

as PEEK’s cooperative ITS platform.

pay to use the FREILOT services, as

The development of such business

they were financed by the suppliers

models is precisely what led PEEK to

EU funded projects help companies

alongside

the

being the first company to launch a

focus their research and develop

European Union. This allowed further

commercially available cooperative

business models to accompany new

real world testing at no financial cost

mobility solution.

developments as well as provide a

co-funding

from

‘instrumental’

in

the

companies are more willing to invest if they see the EU supporting developments

meeting place for developers and

to those benefiting from the services demonstrating both how successful

The company does not shy away from

potential customers. In the case

the technologies could be in their

explaining just how instrumental

of FREILOT, it showed that the

stated purpose and illustrating the

EU co-funded projects are in the

technology was ready, that customers

value they can add to both cities and

development cycle. Tops explained

wanted it and they were willing to

freight operators. In addition it gave

that such projects ‘help inform the

pay. Something PEEK has certainly

suppliers, as Remi Tops explained, a

world about what we [PEEK] do and

found. After all - they already have

much better idea of the needs of the

they’re a great channel in product

enormous interest from around the

hardware platform. These insights

introduction’.

world.

combined, led to the building of

explaining that companies are more

‘a better idea of the costs and

willing to invest if they see the EU

requirements’ of the services.

supporting developments, not simply

For example, in the city of Helmond, a FREILOT pilot site, emergency vehicles

were

equipped

with

He

continued

by

due to ‘shared risk’ but ‘because they only invest in things which they see have a future’.

intersection priority systems. The outcome of this real world testing

Of course, as Tops highlighted, ‘the

was, as the project demonstrated,

real proof is when customers want

safer intersection crossings as well

to buy without external funding’. In

as a demonstration of just how

this case, it seems the story of EU

efficient such priority systems could

co-funding has a decidedly happy

be. In a recent interview, Gert Blom,

ending. PEEK have launched the first

Strategic Advisor on Mobility to the

commercially available cooperative

City of Helmond, stated that ‘besides

ITS system on the market and it looks

the original predicted benefits of

as though the City of Copenhagen,

the project, we now see many more

which recently concluded a tender for

benefits of the FREILOT services

traffic management in the city, might

such as noise reduction, improved

purchase it as an option (although

traffic flows and increased road

this is still being considered). Such

safety’. Further, the success of the

a development would at once help

ITS interoperability testing events: a new way to make business

by Carla Coppola Image: courtesy of SĂŠbastien Mure @ERTICO - ITS Europe

With one interoperability event successfully conducted in 2011, and two already planned for 2012, the ITS sector is picking up on a deployment enabler that has so far been under utilised: interoperability testing. This is happening because suppliers need to ensure that their products communicate correctly with each other, and interoperability testing events represent an essential step towards launching products on the market and towards commercial success.

Over

the

past

interoperability become

a

few

years,

test its own product and technology

events

have

against competitors and find errors

practice

that would have been impossible to

well-known

within several high-tech sectors,

find otherwise.

such as telecommunication, as they provide an exceptional opportunity

and standardisation organisations;

ITS Interoperability testing events are

to test a product and pledge its

they

on

a recent success story. In November

interoperability before placing it on

possible errors in a product and on

last year ERTICO - ITS Europe and

the market. Even if interoperability

ambiguity of a standard (often due to

ETSI (European Telecommunications

events

products

different interpretations of the same

Standards Institute) joined forces to

and services, they allow engineers

standard) allowing early corrections

launch the first ever ITS (Intelligent

to spot problems in the product

which,

without

Transport Systems) interoperability

development process early enough

testing, would cost extra time and

event. The week was very important

to limit financial consequences. Such

money. The advantages of ensuring

for ERTICO and it was closely followed

events ideally take place early on in

interoperability are undeniable and

via a live blog by SĂŠbastien Mure

the progress of the implementation

therefore the collaboration between

(Project Support Manager at ERTICO)

of a standard, and have proven to

participants prevails over the risk

which allowed the ITS community to

create

among

of sharing products and services

participate virtually in the event.

equipment

among competing companies. The

standardisation

added value of the approach is

This first 5-day interoperability event

demonstrated

focused

do

not

great

participant

certify

excitement

operators,

manufacturers,

bodies and interest groups.

Indeed, interoperability events have a great deal of benefits for companies

offer

if

instant

feedback

implemented

in

the

increasing

on

cooperative

mobility

numbers of participants at these

services and gathered over 50 people

events; each participant company can

from 14 organisations (technology

According

manufacturers

international

HeERO project coordinator, “the

brought

implementation of the eCall service

their ITS units and tested their

at European level should take into

interoperability. The early results of

account

the event were shared and discussed

interoperability and cross border

Recent research conducted

at a workshop hosted by ERTICO

continuity

by TNS Political & Social at

Partner TNO Mobility in Helmond

Interoperability

(the Netherlands) and supported by

vehicle from any European country

Commission (Directorate-

the European projects DRIVE C2X and

can travel across Europe and use

General Information Society

eCoMove

implementations

the eCall service in case of incidents

and Media - http://ec.europa.

were tested and successfully proved

and count on assistance. In order to

eu/information_society/

to be interoperable.

make this possible, interoperability

activities/112/docs/

needs to be accomplished not only

report_2012.pdf) showed

The high attendance and impressive

from a technical point of view, but it

that only 26% of citizens in

results

the

needs to cover all of the operational

the 27 EU Member States

confirmed

aspects. On the other hand, the eCall

can correctly identify 112 as

interoperability), prove the maturity

service can work only if developed in

the cross-border emergency

of the implementation of cooperative

a harmonised way in all European

number and, just 47% of all EU

ITS devices and highlight the great

countries. The HeERO project will use

citizens said they would call

interest of the ITS community in

the European standards as defined by

112 in case of an emergency

testing, as well as the necessity for

ETSI and CEN - European Committee

in their own country.

companies and institutions to certify

for Standardisation, and with this

Nevertheless, according to

the interoperability of products and

project the European Commission is

the study, the knowledge of

services and their compliance with

aiming to facilitate the deployment

112 as a national emergency

standards.

of a pan-European service by 2015.

number does not necessarily

Additionally, this first experience

The

paved

event planned in May is part of

emergency number. In fact,

this

only 38% of interviewees who

and

organisations)

750

who

whose

obtained executed

the

way

interoperability

(90% tests

to

of

future

testing

ITS

events.

to

two

Andy

7

providers, research institutes, car

major

and

Rooke,

conditions:

harmonisation”. means

that

any

Did you know? the request of the European

correspond to awareness first

eCall

harmonisation

interoperability process.

The

of 112 as the European

The next milestone is the eCall

organisers estimate that between 7

Interoperability event, the first of

stated that they would call

and 10 different companies will be

kind,

112 in case of emergency in

represented with a total of 30 to 40

by

their own country also knew

participants. The focus of this event

E R T I C O

that this number could be used

will be on testing the end-to-end

Partner

in other EU countries.

eCall chain (from In-Vehicle System

its hosted

innovITS ADVANCE in the UK

– IVS - to Public Safety Answering

(21-25 May) and supported by the

Point – PSAP), following a defined

eCall deployment project HeERO, led

series of test scenarios. For each

by ERTICO.

test session, couples composed of one IVS test device and one PSAP

HeERO is the pilot project co-funded

test device will be formed. The duos

by the European Commission under

will then test the transmission of the

the ICT Policy Support Programme

eCall under different scenarios, and

that addresses the pan-European in-

verify that all information is properly

vehicle emergency call service (eCall)

transmitted and that the protocols

based on the common European

are respected. The test descriptions

emergency number 112.

and specifications have been written by a group of selected experts, in

This data shows that the knowledge of 112 as the European emergency number “is not only influenced by the national situation in terms of available emergency numbers, but also by the frequency and amount of public information disseminated about the European emergency number 112”.

from previous page...

First Interoperability event: 5 days;

collaboration with the participants in

open to a wide audience and attendees

the tests. The tests will be performed

will have the opportunity to learn

50 participants;

via a mobile network provided and

more about interoperability testing

14 companies;

controlled by innovITS ADVANCE.

and eCall, and to visit the testing

750 interoperability tests;

area and meet the participants.

the positive results obtained with the first interoperability event on cooperative mobility services convinced us that projects can greatly benefit from such events

In

terms

of

benefits

for

the

standardisation process, the event is expected to provide feedback to ETSI on the maturity of the standard, to spot potential errors as well as

A second

providing some feedback on the

event on cooperative mobility services

testing procedures.

is already planned to take place in

For suppliers and manufacturers, of their technologies against other

a

workshop

titled

“From interoperability testing to

to the final results, they can consider

In the same way, François Fischer,

the testing operations where the

Project Manager at ERTICO, who is

first

leading the organisation of the eCall

workshop

is

will

be

shown. The

interoperability event, acknowledged that these events are also pivotal for projects that have the unique opportunity

of

testing

their

products and technologies before

testing

Thanks to François Fischer, Sébastien Mure and Andy Rooke for their collaboration in preparing this article.

what can be done to improve them.

certification” will be held during results

interoperability

June 2012 in Versailles (France).

a feedback on the interoperability suppliers will be given and, according

Additionally,

90% of the tests confirmed interoperability

Useful links www.etsi.org/WebSite/OurServices/ plugtests/aboutus.aspx

they are actually implemented; http://ecomove-project.eu/newsevents/news/etsi-plugtests-watchthe-video

Click here to view the video of the first Interoperability event on CMS

http://vimeo.com/channels/etsi

9

Next interoperability events

21-25 May 2012

1st eCall Interoperability testing event

Nuneaton (UK) 11-15 June 2012

2nd Interoperability testing event on Cooperative Mobility Services

Versailles (FR) September 2012

TPEG Interoperability testing event

Brussels (BE)

Interview with: Ramiro Quintero, FICOSA

Can you describe FICOSA activities in the ITS field?

FICOSA

is,

nowadays,

of

vehicles. The proper functioning of

proprietary integrated antennas,

the worldwide leaders in the

those services, such as GSM, UMTS,

specialised

development

DCS, GPS, Glonass, etc relied on good

mass production capabilities, in-

antenna reception.

house testing and state-of-the-

of

one

in-vehicle

systems integrated in vehicles. A firm commitment to innovative

art

manufacturing

measurement

and

equipment,

solutions to our clients has led

The antenna is one of the most

and a strong IPR portfolio that

FICOSA’s technology to be chosen

definitive elements of a wireless

ensures a competitive advantage.

already

customers,

device. Without it, wireless systems

Currently, FICOSA’s engineering

awarded

would not be wireless. Some years

group is a team of 20+ years

for worldwide deployments of

ago, FICOSA decided to address the

experience in several areas, such

several million units in 2013.

aforementioned new market trends

as RF, software development,

Our automotive customers are

through a portfolio of innovative

3G/4G

already

antenna solutions in all the different

communications, etc.

and

by

several

several projects

benefiting

from

the

communications,

GNSS

advanced integration capabilities

services

in telematic modules to meet their

started with the search of antenna

Why have you joined ERTICO

demands, as several car platforms

technologies that could provide more

- ITS Europe? What are your

have been integrating FICOSA’s

than conventional solutions. Through

expectations for this Partnership?

telematic modules inside since

research,

several months ago.

advances in the design of two kinds

FICOSA has several expectations in

of traditionally difficult antennas:

joining ERTICO. In a world where

With

today’s

automotive

used

in

FICOSA

automobile.

led

It

notable

the multiband and miniature. FICOSA

increasingly

worldwide market and customer

committed

wireless

vehicles and ITS are hitting the

changing needs, wireless access is

data communications by providing

roads, FICOSA cannot stress highly

expected to lead to dramatically

specialised and unique antennas.

enough getting in contact with the

to

support

multiband applications that take

intelligent

smart

right partners. In that sense, one

advantage of ubiquitous mobility

That commitment to provide with

of the major expectations from

and location. Several years ago,

state-of-the-art antennas benefited

FICOSA is to participate with other

FICOSA was qualified to understand

FICOSA’s customers, since FICOSA’s

European partners in projects

those trends in the ITS field by

IPR portfolio ensures a competitive

where we can provide with the

working in close cooperation with

advantage to our partners and clients.

right experience in the fields of

its customers. In that sense, it was

Needless to say that the benefits of

in-vehicle

clear that the number of available

FICOSA’s expertise do not end there,

units), and proper integration

communication services within a

however. FICOSA electronics know-

of those systems in the vehicle

vehicle was constantly increasing.

how in the communications and

by means of our technology.

As the users appreciate the utility

automotive sectors also led to the

FICOSA is a Tier-1 supplier with

of new services, it was not only

development of innovative telematic

60+ years experience in dealing

the manufacturers of portable

units. Now FICOSA is a full-service

with

devices,

makers

Tier-1 supplier in the telematic

order to be successful, it is key

themselves, who wanted to have

arena that offers full development

to establish strong links with the

these services integrated in the

of hardware / software solutions,

ITS community, and ERTICO is a

but

also

car

systems

automotive

(telematic

makers.

In

11

platform that really encourages that cooperation among the partners.

FICOSA Description FICOSA is an industrial group based in Spain and a global

Are there any projects, activities

leader in research, development, production and marketing of

or sectors that you are particularly

automotive systems and parts. Founded in 1949, the company,

interested in?

with headquarters in Barcelona (Spain), holds a team close to 8,000 employees and manufacturing plants, technological centres and offices located throughout 19 countries in Europe,

FICOSA is well recognised because of its excellence in technology.

There are several areas where FICOSA is leading the innovation field and, therefore, where we would like to keep the lead through partnership.

Looking

towards

the future, FICOSA’s aim is to be

North America, South America and Asia.

The Group invests 4% of its income in R&D, and operates one of the top technology development centres in Spain addressed to the automotive, electronics, energy and communications industries. FICOSA has positioned itself for the future as a world leader in electronic systems with a global and more diversified business agenda and an expanded added value product line.

a natural partner for companies that are starting to realize that wireless integration is a crucial issue. In that sense, FICOSA wants to strengthen its leading position by participating in projects that

Useful links

require innovative solutions in the telematics area, such as 3G/4G telephony

and

communications,

GNSS

satellite

DSRC,

M2M

solutions for car manufacturers and aftermarket solutions, etc.

Website: www.ficosa.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ficosaofficialpage Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/ FicosaInternational Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ficosaworld LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ficosainternational

For further information, please contact us: Avenue Louise 326 B-1050 Brussels Belgium t +32 (0)2 400 07 00 f +32 (0)2 400 07 01 pr@mail.ertico.com

www.ertico.com