Intercontinental ITS boosted by recent visits

Ertico-ITS Europe is actively building stronger links with ITS Japan, whose president, Hajime Amano, led a delegation to Brussels last month. Amano updated his hosts on the progress of the development of ITS technologies in support of Japan’s Active Ageing programme, which is responding to the needs of a population with the world’s highest proportion of older adults by introducing innovative community support systems. Recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disasters have also highlighted the need to
December 11, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
374 Ertico-ITS Europe is actively building stronger links with 556 ITS Japan, whose president, Hajime Amano, led a delegation to Brussels last month.


Amano updated his hosts on the progress of the development of ITS technologies in support of Japan’s Active Ageing programme, which is responding to the needs of a population with the world’s highest proportion of older adults by introducing innovative community support systems. Recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant disasters have also highlighted the need to develop fast-response emergency aid delivery and evacuation procedures.

The visit followed an earlier, GNSS-oriented industrial partner mission to Japan led by Ertico’s CEO, Jacob Bangsgaard.

Organised by EU directorate-general Growth, which covers industry and entrepreneurship, and the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, this set out to foster closer collaboration on developing applications for GNSS systems, including Europe’s Galileo. There was strong emphasis on joint activity involving Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.

A public-private round table opened with the signing of a cooperation agreement on key industrial sectors for GNSS-based technology and strengthening overall policy coordination between the EU and Japan. The European industrial partners highlighted roles for GNSS in automated driving.

The mission also reviewed planned EU-Japan cooperation in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympiad, with Bangsgaard highlighting Ertico’s vision of ITS for smart cities and major events.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • International workshop on FOT results and data
    July 15, 2013
    FOT-Net has been established by the European Commission to network Field Operational Tests (FOT) organisers in one platform to address common issues related to the practical organisation, set up and follow-up of FOT results. FOT-Net has organised a free workshop to be held at the Tokyo International Forum on Monday 14 October before the ITS World Congress opening ceremony, to exchange knowledge, best practices and foster cooperation for FOT activities and supporting the coherent development and implementati
    Read More
  • European tunnel upgrades following new safety legislation
    August 20, 2015
    Across Europe there is a very mixed picture of compliance to latest safety standards for road tunnels. Best practice has emerged, however, in the wake of European legislation. Jon Masters reports High profile fatal fires following accidents in the Mont Blanc, Tauern and Gotthard tunnels prompted the 2004 European Union Directive 2004/54 on road tunnel safety. This meant all EU member states would have to meet new standards of safety in road tunnels by 30 April 2014. The Directive applied to all tunnels over
    Read More
  • The future of ITS post recession
    January 25, 2012
    ACS, A Xerox Company's Cees de Wijs talks about post-recession recovery and what we might expect to see in the coming years
    Read More
  • ITS South Africa sees a perfect storm as spending is squeezed
    August 10, 2016
    The argument for cost-benefit analysis of ITS has never been so strong, according to Dr Paul Vorster, CEO of ITS South Africa, as the industry finds itself “in the eye of a perfect storm. There are escalating demands for solutions to strategic challenges such as cutting congestion, and improving and expanding mobility by moving people out of private vehicles and into public and non-motorised transport.
    Read More

Highlighted Content