Data revolution behind smart mobility
Cars, traffic lights, barriers and bicycles communicating with each other in real time. This is no longer a vision of the future, but everyday reality. Behind this breakthrough is Monotch, based in Brabant, which, as part of the DITM (Digital Infrastructure for Future-Proof Mobility) innovation programme, has laid the digital foundations for a safer, more efficient and more sustainable mobility system, together with TomTom, TNO, Siemens, Geomaat, VDL and Vtron, among others.
From frustration to foundation
Ten years ago, Paul Potters and co-founder Menno Malta of Monotch saw that the sharing of traffic data was at a standstill. Governments, car manufacturers and suppliers were literally and figuratively speaking their own languages. ‘The will to collaborate and modernise was there, but the world of traffic systems was stuck in old technology,’ says Potters. ‘We were stuck in endless discussions where everyone defended their own standards. We decided we had to stop talking and just start building.’
Potters has spent his entire career in the world of mobility and ICT. He has worked on travel information, road pricing and various forms of traffic management. ‘The intention to innovate was always there, but the pace was slow,’ he says. "Everyone saw that the future would be digital, but in practice, outdated systems often remained in place. We decided: if we really want to change this, we have to do it ourselves."
That's how Monotch came into being. And with a clear goal: to ensure that traffic data is shared as professionally, securely and reliably as stock market information at Bloomberg or news at Reuters. Under the motto “We Make Traffic Talk”, Potters and Malta built TLEX (Traffic Live Exchange). A platform that connects vehicles, traffic lights, road users, apps and road authorities in real time.
‘Mobility is not a one-way street. It's a conversation. Every traffic light, every car tells what it is doing, so that others can respond. This makes the system smarter, safer and more sustainable.’
The idea proved to be powerful and scalable. Monotch's Smart Mobility Platform is now operational nationwide in the Netherlands, Belgium and parts of Scandinavia. In the Netherlands, Monotch's technology was previously the basis for Talking Traffic, the programme that enabled connected traffic lights and vehicles. That experience now forms the foundation for DITM. ‘Ambulances automatically get a green light and recommended speeds are adjusted in real time to the circumstances.’
A laboratory for innovation
With the launch of the DITM programme – an initiative co-financed by the National Growth Fund – Monotch is taking the next step. DITM focuses on building the digital infrastructure for the future of mobility.
‘What makes this project unique for us,’ says Potters, ‘is that it provides an environment where we can really experiment. We are sitting at the table with like-minded people who understand what digitising mobility requires. And you are also allowed to fail. That is essential for innovation.’
Within work package four, which focuses on reliable and up-to-date digital infrastructure for automated transport, safe navigation and future mobility applications, Monotch is working on a new type of data connection: the Federation Block within their TLEX platform. This federative layer enables data to be shared securely and in real time between different ecosystems, countries and organisations.
‘For example, it ensures that a German motorist driving in the Netherlands can still use their own app, navigation and dashboard,’ explains Potters. ‘The systems communicate with each other without anyone having to hand over their data. That is the future of European mobility.’
The collaboration within DITM makes this possible. ‘We are doing this together with parties such as TNO, Siemens, TomTom and Vtron,’ says Potters. ‘Everyone brings their own knowledge and perspective to the table. That enriches the discussion and strengthens the solutions.’
‘We have proven that you don't have to build one big European system. That's a real game changer.’
Technology that works
Where many innovation projects remain stuck in the trial phase, Monotch's technology has already proven itself in practice. Every traffic light in the Netherlands communicates with the platform up to ten times per second. Millions of vehicles transmit their status in real time. ‘It's no longer an experiment,’ says Potters. ‘It's already up and running on a national level. That's our greatest proof of success.’
This infrastructure enables countless applications. ‘Ambulances automatically get a green light, freight traffic flows more smoothly through the city thanks to smart traffic control, and recommended speeds are adjusted in real time to the circumstances. If there is fog or an incident, we can warn all vehicles in an area at the same time. That greatly increases safety,’ explains Potters.
Another example is Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), a system in which vehicles automatically receive recommended speeds based on current conditions. ‘We use that within DITM as an example to test how data can be shared between systems,’ says Potters. ‘This shows how we can deal with quality and timing within federations. And it works.’
Federating without borders
According to Potters, the biggest breakthrough within DITM lies in the federation of data: the technology and governance that make it possible to link networks without having to centralise data. ‘We have proven that you don't have to build one large European system,’ he says. "You can connect smaller, autonomous systems like Lego blocks. Each country or organisation remains the owner of its own data, but through the federation they can collaborate in real time. That's a real game changer."
Within DITM, Monotch worked with its partners to develop the underlying rules for governance, quality and security. ‘It's not just about technology,’ Potters emphasises. ‘You need to know who has access, who is authorised and whether the data is reliable. We have now sorted that out.’
This approach is also in line with the Mobility Data Spaces that are emerging in Europe. In fact, TLEX is already a working example of such a federated network built with the Key Enabling Technologies that the EU is focusing on: AI, 5G and Cloud/Edge computing.
‘One traffic fatality costs society around three million euros. If we can contribute to zero traffic fatalities with these systems, that is priceless.’
The Netherlands as a testing ground for Europe
With the DITM results in hand, Monotch is looking further ahead. The technology is now being applied in Flanders and Scandinavia, and new international projects are in the pipeline. ‘DITM is a springboard,’ says Potters. ‘We take the knowledge we gain here with us to international collaborations. It has taken us another step forward. We can now show that it works on an international scale.’
Brainport also remains the perfect environment for Monotch to grow. ‘Here, you talk to parties who really understand what is needed. That makes innovation fast and concrete,’ says Potters. ‘In Brussels, it often takes a year before everyone agrees. Here, you can switch gears quickly, experiment and continue to develop.’
The next step is to expand the federative layer to other domains, such as logistics, apps and smart access. ‘Once bicycles, lorries and barriers are also included, you will have a digital backbone for mobility. That's where we're headed.’
Impact: social gains and economic clout
The benefits of DITM are visible and measurable. Less congestion, fewer emissions, greater safety and liveability. But also: a stronger economic position for the Netherlands in the rapidly growing European market for smart mobility.
In the precursor to DITM, Talking Traffic, it was found that 60 to 90 per cent of road users follow recommended speeds when they trust the system. This results in immediate safety gains. Ambulances reach their destination ten per cent faster thanks to prioritisation at intersections, while freight traffic flows more smoothly and with fewer emissions thanks to smarter traffic control.
These effects translate into tangible social benefits. ‘One traffic fatality costs society three million euros,’ Potters calculates. "If we contribute to Vision Zero (zero traffic fatalities) with these systems, that is priceless. At the same time, we are building an export product that is attracting worldwide interest.
Within DITM, public and private interests come together in a shared ecosystem. ‘It's no longer a top-down programme,’ says Potters. ‘Everyone brings their own expertise to the table. This creates unexpected combinations. Take VDL, for example, which is working on self-driving shuttles; it was only in DITM that we discovered we could use each other's data.’
This collaboration is precisely what makes Brainport strong: knowledge, business and government in a single ecosystem. ‘It's mature innovation,’ says Potters. ‘We are no longer a start-up experimenting in a lab. We are building systems that make a real contribution to society.’
The next step in connected mobility. After nearly ten years of development and collaboration within DITM, Monotch's vision has become a reality: a data layer that connects cities, equipment, vehicles and road users.
‘The biggest gain,’ Potters concludes, ‘is that we have shown that mobility no longer has to work in silos. We have developed a language in which traffic can really talk to each other. And that conversation is not going to stop. It's only going to get smarter.’