Roadmap to speed up automation in transport

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 8.5.2017 13.39
News item
Road (Photo: Rodeo)
Road (Photo: Rodeo)

Recent years have seen an increasing variety of new transport automation solutions in all transport modes. To accelerate this development the Ministry of Transport and Communications has prepared a roadmap for promoting automation in the transport sector.

Increasing intelligent automation in transport opens up significant opportunities to improve the safety, efficiency and smooth operation of traffic and transport and reduce harmful environmental impacts in all transport modes.

On 2 June 2016, the Government outlined measures to promote the use and development of intelligent robotics and automation in Finland. At the same time it was decided that all administrative branches draw up plans for developing robotics during the current government term.

Finland aims to be a world leader in transport automation and ensure a regulatory and operating environment that fosters the development of automation. For this purpose the Ministry of Transport and Communications has prepared a roadmap to promote transport automation, setting out actions within its administrative branch that aim to promote transport automation during the current government term (2017-2019). The roadmap aims to give an overview of ongoing and necessary measures and ensure that the measures are sufficient and follow the same direction in all transport modes.

The roadmap measures are divided into three themes: intelligent automation and robotics for service development; utilisation of data and traffic management for intelligent automation and robotics; and development of physical and digital infrastructure for automated transport.

Key actions for the entire administrative branch include exerting influence on the international regulation of different transport modes, enabling experimentations, developing an interoperable infrastructure and devices for transport automation, introducing 5G network technology, increasing the amount, quality and usage of transport data, and improving the quality of satellite positioning.

Finland is well positioned to join in the first wave of transport automation because Finland has the high level of versatile expertise and technology required for harnessing automation.

The roadmap is part of the Government key projects on building a digital growth environment.