N° 3 March 2016

This month focus on...


GIORGIO MARTINI, MANAGER AT "AGENZIA PER LA COESIONE TERRITORIALE" (EXECUTIVE AGENCY FOR TERRITORIAL COHESION) - MANAGING AUTHORITY OF NATIONAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAMMES RELATED TO THE METROPOLITAN CITIES
 

Mr. Martini, how does PON Metro work?
PON Metro is radical new both at European and national level. Italy is the only country with a specific programme for the metropolitan cities. The programme has a fund of 890 ME and activities are coordinated by the "Agenzia per la Coesione Territoriale" but funds are allocated directly to the 14 cities involved. North and Centre cities have received nearly 40 ME each, while cities in the south have received 90 ME each. There are three different areas of activities: smart city and digital agenda, social inclusion and the development of the enterprise system.

How is the programme going?
It was approved in July 2015 and several steps have been taken already: a launch event at the end of 2015; the approval of a document on the communication strategy. Now we are working on the organisation side to reach a twofold objective: a functional management of the allocated resources and the preparation of a strategic document on the PON Metro results on the whole metropolitan area, in the view of inclusion and interoperability. In order to maximise the use of resources, our aim is to realize pilot projects, ensuring common standards, the highest interoperability of the systems in the different cities. We have created a technical secretariat putting together the main administrations involved (Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Work, Ministry of Research) to offer to the programme specific competences to help defining and selecting projects. Also, we have launched working groups on specific issues such as mobility, energy efficiency, inclusion, digital agenda.

Can you give a few examples of cities that have already started mobility projects?
Some cities are issuing tenders for the purchase of rolling stock, buses in particular. The programme, in this case, asks for precise technological standards not only from the point of view of emissions but also requires surveillance and infomobility systems. The cities administrations in charge of these operations must acquire adequate skills to manage new technologies. Tenders on mobility can be issued by each city but common tenders are also possible. This is what we are doing together with the Ministry of Transport for buses.

What are the timelines?
The first tenders will be issued in summer and we will ask cities to send us a plan for the activities including resources use, timeline, characteristics and objectives of the initiatives. Therefore the programme is not fully operative but on the 25th of May the criteria for projects evaluation will be approved. In addition, we are preparing some handbooks, also available on our website, giving information on characteristics, expenses allowed and other details related to tender preparation.

Which are the planned initiatives?
We especially think to smart traffic management and electric vehicles also at private level. Of course, this has to be integrated in what we call "Soft mobility", that is cycle paths integrated in the city and linked to interoperable exchange nodes. As for the energy efficiency we are thinking about smart light poles for public lighting which would be also used to check the pollution level or the traffic density...

TTS Italia has launched in 2014 a Platform for Local Authorities. Do you think the Platform could support the PON Metro activities?
As far as I know, the Platform is also aimed at best practices exchange which is one of the pillar of PON. During the working groups meetings we asked to those cities having previous experiences to share knowledge on technological and administrative issues of the project process. Best practices exchange is fundamental and any support for this is welcome. According to my experience, among the 14 cities there are excellences to be shared.

Who is Giorgio Martini. Expert in planning, implementation and management of programs and project both at national and community level for local development, entrepreneurship and human, he developed his skills from 1985 at IAMS and IPI (structures for the industry promotion), and at the Ministry of Economic Development. Since 2012 he is manager at Agenzia per la Coesione Territoriale.

Sent to 5.498 Members

Member of the month

DRIVE2GO

Drive2go s.r.l. is a start-up located in Milan and active in the field of the sustainable mobility. Born in 2003 as a spin off of Teleparking, a company dealing with driving monitoring, parking mobile payment and optimization of urban waste collection.
The core product of Drive2go is the innovative Driving Style Tools (DST), designed and developed in collaboration with the Politecnico of Milan and capable to evaluate in real time the user driving style to improve fuel consumption, to reduce polluting emissions and to increase safety level.
Since its launch on the market, DST has been successful and has been awarded several prizes tied to innovation and sustainability. The most recent prize has been awarded during the Expo 2015 in Milan among the best star-up in Lombardia region.
Over the past years, Drive2Go has established several technical and strategic partnerships: Politecnico of Milan, Associations for Local Public Transport and Urban hygiene and TTS Italia.

For contacts: Stefano Soliano - ssoliano@drive2go.it

THE PRODUCT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

DST system is composed of an on board device that does not need to interface with the vehicle and which communicates with an app on smartphones or tablets, on which the driver can check in real time the cost and safety of its guide.
Starting from raw data (GPS positions and speed, accelerations and acceleration variations on the three axis) collected by the DST system while driving, the dedicated and patented algorithm calculates the energy really spent from the driver and compares it to the optimum ones required to make the same displacement of the same vehicle at the same time.
It is demonstrated by the customers that the adoption of the DST system increases the professionalism of drivers and allows to reduce consumption to a variable extent between 5% and 12% as well.
From DST has originated DST Plus which, in addition to DST feature, enables the monitoring and management of a fleet of vehicles in the Local Public Transport industry. DST Plus changes drastically the concept of AVM: no longer on-board computers, difficult to be installed, managed and maintained. All this is replaced by a service based on DST inertial device and on an App installed on an Android tablet.
From product to service, de-materializing the traditional AVM, DST Plus jumps a generation in the world of ITS concerning public transport fleet management, reducing costs over 50%.
The last product born from DST is DST Waste, developed in association with HERA, one of the most important Italian multi utility company and dedicated to the urban waste collection.
Waste means of transport require strong maintenance effort as the use of brakes, clutch, suspensions is quite heavy and constant. Fast driving increases dramatically the cost of maintenance. DST WASTE is therefore an innovative technological system devoted to waste collection means and able to their protection against an unsafe driving style. An on board system through a given number of very sophisticated algorithms embedded on a special model of DST, warns the drivers each time he overcomes a given level of a "safety style".
A safer drive reduces maintenance costs over 10%.
Nowadays, more than 2000 means of both public transport and garbage collection companies are using the DST technology.
Drive2Go, in collaboration with ASSTRA and ANAV (the main Italian associations for the local public transport) has founded the DS Academy, the first high school training in eco, economical and reliable driving dedicated to drivers of vehicles of local public transport and Urban Hygiene, using exclusive and innovative training methods, based on DST technologies.

2 QUESTIONS TO DRIVE2GO

To Stefano Soliano, partner of the company and in charge of the Large Account

• DST Plus, a new version of your system for the Local Public Transport, has been recently launched. Why do you think it is an innovative solution in the AVM sector?
  DST Plus substantially changes the concept of AVM. Until now the AVM has always been in fact an on-board computer, an HW apparatus capable to collect data from the mean, to transmit them to a central and possibly receive from a management system information on turns and services.
  AVM belongs to the mean and we thought that AVM, according to modern trends, could be transformed in an app. DST Plus is an app on a tablet given to the driver and once connected with the DST (a small black box) can offer data on the service (timetable, delays, next stop...) and can interface with the control centre. Also, on the tablet the driver can always check how good is his driving style. On the other hand, the company through the tablet can access by cloud the control centre and receive all the information related to fleet monitoring and management.
• Also for the Urban Hygiene, especially for urban garbage collection, you have developed a system based on the DST technology to influence the driving style. Can you tell us about that?
  DST Waste is the DST system dedicated to companies managing fleets for the urban garbage collection.
  The system consists of three basic elements: a black box capable to detect the style of driving, a LED device to provide the driver a feedback on his driving style and a sophisticated control panel on which monitor the fleet and possibly interact with it.
  The system has been developed, as all of our innovations, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics of the Politecnico of Milan; in this case we have also collaborated with Uniflotte, the Hera company (a the multi-utility company also carrying out waste management services) that handles all of their fleets.
  With them we were able to fine-tune the set of algorithms relying on the specific characteristics of the driving style of the collection means (frequent stops in urban areas and the most significant transfers from the place of collection to the point of transfer).
  The results we have obtained so far on the first customers, and Uniflotte is one of them, are really very interesting. We are seeing, as well as a reduction in extraordinary maintenance, an improvement in consumption of more than 10% ... and in this kind of transportation means really a lot of money.

Project of the month

myCicero wins the challenge of smart mobility, the final integration with Trenitalia
Trenitalia joins myCicero network, the only platform where train, bus and metro solutions are integrated in a single App

Pluservice, an Italian company specialized in the development of IT solutions for managing passengers' transport, has launched the first national platform which revolutionizes the concept of smart mobility and smart card.
We are talking about myCicero, the mobile payment platform released in 2012 to improve the access to mobility services - including information on public transports, purchase of tickets, payment of parking permits, access to Congestion Charge Zones, bike sharing, payment of fines, etc. - all this directly by smartphone.
After having gained the main Italian cities in a few years, such as Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna and many other smaller cities, Pluservice is now proud to welcome the most important sector player, Trenitalia, the Italian railway operator.
At the same time, a new feature making myCicero really unique has been introduced in the app: an integration among the different transport modes.
The app enables indeed users to search for door-to-door intermodal travel solutions, while integrating urban, extra urban and national transport services and enabling the purchase of tickets for every single journey, even for different transport companies.
MyCicero is therefore a system designed to support the user during all the steps making up a journey: parking the car in the closest parking area, paying only for actual parking time, having real time information on the status of public transport vehicles, buying bus and train tickets, getting into the metro and booking a bike sharing service. Several payment methods are also available, from the credit card to cash.
Such revolution has been made possible thanks to the know-how which Pluservice has developed in over thirty years' experience, by serving more than 250 transport companies throughout Italy and thanks to the work of a team of more than 100 experts who created a network able to provide users with an efficient and certified service.
"With myCicero, we finally succeeded in placing the citizen and his mobility needs at the centre – says proudly Giorgio Fanesi, C.E.O. of Pluservice. "We turned the smartphone – a device that everyone holds in his pocket – into a real access key (a unique one) to the services of a territory, overcoming the traditional concept of smart card in mobility".
For further information: www.mycicero.it
For contacts: Silvia Magnalardo - s.magnalardo@pluservice.net

News of the month from TTS Italia partners

AlmavivA presents its enterprise mission critical solutions for the Transportation market at Dubai
"Urban Mobility: Think Big" is the slogan of the 2016 edition of the MENA Transport Congress & Exhibition, the largest international event on public transportation in the Middle East and North Africa region, in Dubai on 25 and 26 April, where AlmavivA, TTS Itaia ordinary member, is the only Italian exhibitor.
Improving urban mobility, while reducing pollution and accidents, is the common challenge faced by all major cities worldwide, and public transport is the backbone of all future multimodal mobility services. AlmavivA has accepted this challenge and showcases a range of enterprise mission critical solutions capable of satisfying the new needs of contemporary passenger and freight mobility.
"Thinking big just about sums up our offering - says Smeraldo Fiorentini, General Manager, Transportation Division at AlmavivA -: at Dubai, in particular, we will be presenting our new Infomobility solution, which consists of a set of context-specific multichannel services for passengers, integrated with customized engagement models, for transforming the transport experience".
Our vision at AlmavivA places the customer at the center of the mobility experience, going beyond the merely transport-focused models. At the MENA, AlmavivA, Italy's leading Transport ICT provider, will be showcasing tailored "door-to-door" solutions, based on user context and travel preferences.
We also offer integrated Customer Journey services, complex station services and on-board systems based on the remote centralized management of contents and supports: from infotainment to video-surveillance and passenger counts, including networking and telecommunications infrastructure components. We provide tailored, context-specific turnkey solutions and take care of complex integration and management matters on behalf of our clients.
Source: AlmavivA

Continental at JRC Open Day with its Innovation Truck
Continental, TTS Italia ordinary member, will be present at the Open Day of the Joint Research Centre JRC, Ispra (VA) Saturday, 28th of May with its Innovation Truck. Continental will show many of the most innovative technological solution, as telematic solutions and applications for fleets management, new VDO digital tachograph, surrounding view systems and head-up display, besides a new on-board weighing systems for trucks. Admission is free by registering at this link: https://web.jrc.ec.europa.eu/openday/
More details about JRC Open day here:
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/event/open-day-2016?search#en
To get more information about Innovation Truck and how to visit it, send a request at info.consumatori@continental-corporation.com
Source: Continental - VDO

Engineering wins tender for POR FSE and POR FESR monitoring
Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SpA, TTS Italia ordinary member, has won the tender issued by LAZIOcrea SpA (ex LAit LAzio innovazione tecnologica SpA) for the supply of a system to manage and control the POR FSE 2014-2020 and POR FESR 2014-2020 of Regione Lazio.
Source: TTS Italia

In Rome the ESRI User Conference 2016
It was held on 20 and 21 April, in Rome, the User Conference 2016 of ESRI Italia, TTS Italia ordinary member. The event focused on the geospatial technologies involve more the one thousand participant every year. The 2016 edition especially focused on the topic "From GIS to Location Platform, the evolution of geospatial technologies in the digital era". In the technical workshops of the Esri Professional Summit, ESRI carried out live Demo of the ArcGIS platform. This year, for the first time, the "GeObservatory Prize" has been awarded to the best applications.
Source: ESRI Italia

Kapsch TrafficCom closes acquisition of Schneider Electric Transportation Business
Kapsch, TTS Italia ordinary member, has announced the closing of the acquisition of Schneider Electric's Transportation Business. The company, formerly operating under Telvent Tráfico y Transporte, is a leading provider of real-time IT solutions and best-in-class intelligent transportation systems complementary to those provided by Kapsch. The acquisition expands the Kapsch portfolio and strengthens its market position in intelligent transportation systems, especially in the growth markets of Spain, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. The closing purchase price is approximately EUR 26.0 million on a debt free basis after preliminary purchase price adjustments in connection with closing and includes net cash assets of the business in excess of EUR 3.0 million. The full integration will take about 18 months. The Schneider Electric Transportation Business is expected to contribute roughly EUR 125 million of revenues at a slightly positive EBIT to the Kapsch TrafficCom Group. Kapsch will integrate about 900 employees from Schneider into its global workforce of nearly 3,500 employees. According to Georg Kapsch, CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom, "Urbanization is an accelerating megatrend that demands for innovative action. Our new integrated traffic management portfolio will make both urban and highway transportation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly by improving traffic flow and providing real-time data to motorists." He added that Kapsch believes that the combined entities will be a major contribution to resolve the embedded operating challenges for municipalities around the globe. "Schneider Electric and Kapsch will continue to maximize business opportunities in the Smart Cities arena", says Mike Hughes, EVP Strategic Customers & Segments for Schneider Electric. Kapsch will expand its expertise in traffic management solutions by integrating Schneider's EcoTrafix™ a comprehensive solution for real-time traffic management in cities, into the existing portfolio. The EcoTrafix system is running mainly in Northern and Southern America as well as in Spain. The system is used for improving traffic conditions and access corridors as well as for providing real-time information services about the traffic situation to road users. The integration will not affect operating systems. The newly acquired EcoTrafix is a perfect addition to DYNAC, Kapsch's advanced traffic management system (ATMS). DYNAC is mainly used on highways and long distance roads. The high performance, integrated software suite, is designed to monitor and control traffic on roads and tunnels. Further, Georg Kapsch adds: "This acquisition perfectly matches our Strategy 2020 of enabling exceptional user experience through intelligent mobility solutions from the highway to the city." The broadening of the domain knowledge allows Kapsch to make transport safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
For additional information: www.kapsch.net and www.kapschtraffic.com.
Sourcee: kapsch

Pluservice and Transport for London for the Demand Responsive Transport service
In the framework of the MOBiNET project, co-funded by the European Commission, Pluservice, TTS Italia ordinary member, has been the technological partner and provider of Transport for London, in collaboration with TomTom Telematics. The trial involved the three organisations for developing and integrating the real-time notification service and the estimated time of arrival at bus stop for the domestic Dial-A-Ride service offered by TfL to elder and disabled people. The chosen site for the trial was the Wimbledon depot.
In addition to the project architecture, Pluservice developed the software to interact with the components of the MOBINET platform, the software for tracking the bus fleet dedicated to the DaR service - very important for calculating the Estimated Time of Arrival - and an innovative app enabling users with special needs to use the service.
The implementation of the project was successfully concluded in the past months, both from TfL's point of view, that found the service very advantageous, and from users' point of view who perceived the improvements in the service and real benefits due to the limited waiting time for the vehicle to come, especially in bad weather conditions.
Source: Pluservice

Telespazio manages the MEDUS project for the EGNOS service in the Mediterranean area
The MEDUSA (MEDiterranean follow-Up for EGNOS Adoption) project is part of the Euromed GNSS II project, funded by the European Commission in the frame of the Euromed Transport programme. MEDUSA's objective is to extend/exploit the use of the satellite navigation services of EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) in the Euromed countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia).
MEDUSA aids the Euromed countries towards the operational introduction and the exploitation of EGNOS in view of Galileo in various applications, mainly in the transport sectors. Led by Telespazio (Italy), TTS Italia ordinary member, and supported by a team of European experts, MEDUSA run a programme of technical assistance actions, aimed at capacity building, development of enablers and regional cooperation.
To find out more, click here
Source: Telespazio

TTS Italia welcomes the new member ASTER
TTS Italia welcomes the new ordinary member ASTER.
ASTER (www.aster-te.it) is an independent Italian engineering and consulting firm that specializes in Technological Infrastructures and Complex Systems Engineering for the Defence, Aerospace and Transport sectors.
Source: TTS Italia

TTS in action

In Rome the meeting between the City of Reggio Calabria and TTS Italia members
It was held in Rome, at TTS Italia premises, on the 12th of April the meeting on the users information through smart poles organised in collaboration with the City of Reggio Calabria, member of the Platform of Local Authorities of TTS Italia. The event involved nearly 30 participants among TTS Italia members and especially, the following companies have preseted their solutions: Pluservice, MacNil, DataInfomobility, Solari Udine, Aesys, Softeco Sismat, Swarco Mizar e Thetis.

Save the date

Study days: 2nd Conference on the Road Passenger Transport
5-6 May 2016, Rome
For further information, convegnogomma2016.tp@mit.gov.it

International Transport Forum Summit 2016: Green and Inclusive Transport
18-20 May 2016, Leipzig, Germany
For further information, click here

ITS relevant tenders in Italy

For all the relevant tenders, click here

Italia-Busto Arsizio: Devices for parking control
Italia-Cassina de Pecchi: Maintenance services
Italia-Ferrara: Rail devices
Italia-Genova: UMTS services
Italia-Mantova: Parking meters
Italia-Maruggio: Maintenance services
Italia-Napoli: Rail and road maintenance
Italia-Pescara: Plan for the Traffic Management
Italia-Pisa: Technical support for Local Public Transport
Italia-Rimini: Parking management
Italia-Rimini: Road police services
Italia-Roma: Consulting services
Italia-Roma: Maintenance services
Italia-Roma: Videosuirveillance system
Italia-Tolentino: Parking management

" TTS Italia informa che il trattamento dei dati avviene nel rispetto della legge 196/2003, testo unico sulla privacy."