The focus of the Digital Mobility Forum on May 16, 2019, was on “Digital Traffic Information and Management” and “Automation in Mobility”, to which the state of Salzburg and Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft had invited. Around 60 participants from the public administration, research and companies met to exchange experiences including a test drive with the automated Digibus® in the municipality of Koppl.

Well-known experts gave presentations on the main topics of the Mobility Forum at the Pitter Event Center in Salzburg. After that, the approximately 60 participants, including decision-makers from public administrations, the chamber of commerce, universities, research institutes, companies, car driver clubs and other institutions, took the opportunity to discuss the topic. Also a test drive with the Digibus® in the municipality Koppl was on the program.

Karl Rehrl, Forschungslinienleiter für intelligente Mobilität bei Salzburg Research, LR Stefan Schnöll und Siegfried Reich, GF Salzburg Research, mit einem Digibus-Modell

Transport Councilor Stefan Schnöll welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of retaining or regaining the “sovereignty” and control of transport in the region. Motorists should not drive the shortest, bur for all involved best route. “A lot has happened in this field in recent years. That’s why we always want to keep up with the times and network with experts so we can shape the future ourselves.”

Karl Rehrl from Salzburg Research presented an overview of the status quo and the future of digital mobility in Salzburg. He is convinced that digitization offers many opportunities but needs a good framework. There are many questions to answer: how should vehicles communicate with each other in the future? Who owns and who gets the data? Who is nibbling on this million-dollar market?

Traffic Information and Traffic Management

Helmut Beigl (ÖAMTC) presented EVIS.AT for quality-assured event reports for the subordinate road network. You can also learn a lot from other regions: Nik Widmann (Prisma Solutions IT Services GmbH) presented traffic management using the example of Baden-Worttemberg. In Stuttgart, 30 percent of traffic is just parking search traffic! Martin Böhm (Austria-Tech) presented the new C-Roads project for cooperative traffic information with C-ITS. Marlene Suntinger of the Salzburg Institute for Spatial Planning and Housing presented the “urban mobility lab salzburg” as a link between research, development and operational practice.

Automation in Mobility

The afternoon was dedicated to automation in mobility. Michael Nikowitz from the Federal Ministry of Transport, innovation and Technology (BMVIT) showed the status quo of automated driving in Austria and presented the action package Automated Mobility. Konrad Lachmayer (Sigmund Freud Private University) presented legal perspectives on automated driving. Alexander Mirnig (University of Salzburg) highlighted the factors and challenges of man-machine interaction in automated mobility.

Demo Trip with Digibus® in Koppl Municipality

Interested participants were able to take a test drive with the automated minibus (Digibus®) in the village of Koppl after the event. Under the leadership of Salzburg Research, the Austrian master project Digibus® Austria develops and tests technologies related to automated driving and communication with other road users and/or infrastructure. More information about the project: www.digibus.at