Roadmap to harness $1.5 billion transport tech sector

A new Future Technology Leadership Group will help New Zealand harness some of the estimated $1.5 billion value generated by Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) annually, transport minister Phil Twyford says.

It will also help highlight the social benefits they create.

The value of the “T-Tech” industry was highlighted in a new report called Unlocking Commercial Opportunities of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), released by Business NZ.

Twyford announced the private and public sector members of the leadership group which will develop the 10-year Land Transport Technology Roadmap at the T-Tech Conference in Auckland. The conference, hosted by ITS New Zealand, highlights international and domestic trends in urban planning, smart city initiatives, and transport technology and business models.

“Zephyr Airworks, which last week announced their world leading trial of their air taxi Cora, is just one example of how New Zealand can embrace change and pave the way for ITS,” Twyford says.

“New Zealand is seen as a world leader in ITS. This group will bring together the best domestic knowledge, as well as international expertise.

“The Business NZ report focused on three areas – drones, smart logistics and autonomous (self-driving) vehicles – and found New Zealand has a good regulatory and business environment to benefit from ITS.

“A good example of how technology can save lives was the NZTA ‘hackathon’ Save One More Life which last weekend saw 120 developers, and tech, engineering and transport experts spend 48 hours designing ways to make our roads safer. This resulted in a new app to improve driving by teenagers and those on restricted licences, expected to save 55 young lives a year.

“This is an exciting time for transport and technology. Intelligent Transport Systems have the potential to not only make transport more efficient, better for the environment and safer, we now know they can make a valuable contribution to New Zealand’s economy,” Twyford says.

The leadership group includes the NZ Transport Agency, Ministry of Transport, Auckland Transport, Christchurch City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Google, Machine zone, ITS New Zealand, ITS Australia, Ministry of Education, Local Government NZ, Fulton Hogan, Transport Accident Investigation Commission, Australia New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI), Telecom Users Association, Vodafone, KiwiRail, Toyota NZ, HMI Technologies, BECA, UShare, Road Transport Forum, Automobile Association, Westpac, Gladeye, Foodstuffs, Bike Auckland, Chapman Tripp, Uber, GoBus, Datacom, Arup, CISCO, Synapsis, L.E.K. Consulting, Business NZ.