For several years, the European Commission has dedicated specific working programme topics to cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Services to help advance technical research in this area.  The results of these research programmes are expected to contribute to the shaping of European, national and regional public policy frameworks.

Public Authorities play a major role in making a success of cooperative ITS.  In order to ensure a wide European deployment of cooperative ITS, Public Authorities should establish national cooperative infrastructure (road side equipment) that ensures cross-border interoperability and cross-brand interoperability of systems.

Pre-commercial public procurement represents an existing, but underutilised opportunity  for Member States to drive innovation in this sector. Pre-commercial procurement will not only be a major tool to boost innovation, it is also considered to be an important tool to improve the conditions to move from the current Research & Development  stage towards a large scale market of ITS services.  

In this context, the P3ITS project will investigate specifically how the existing but underutilised opportunity of pre-commercial procurement can, while respecting existing legislation, stimulate innovation and help advance towards market conditions for large scale introduction of cooperative ITS services. P3ITS will establish a European network of 13 procurement experts, professionals from the ITS sector and industry and public procurement agencies.

Policy Context

The P3ITS project will start a dialogue between procurement experts, agencies and industry professionals from the ITS sector, with the aim of building a network of procurers and industry experts as consultation partners.

Due to the complexity of the topic, the project will address more or less 'isolated' problem definitions. P3ITS will first focus on the needs and requirements for the innovation and migration from R&D towards large scale market of cooperative ITS services.

Secondly, P3ITS will focus on the options and mechanisms that pre-commercial public procurement - as a special structure for procurement - provides for risk sharing and stimulating innovation.

Following the identification of requirements from industry and analysis of mechanisms for pre-commercial public procurement (PCP), the project will consolidate the results and extend the individual conclusions.

The project's partners are:

European Road Transport Telematics Implementation Coordination Organisation ERTICO (BE), Promotion of Operational Links with Integrated Services POLIS (BE), Ministry of Transport V&W (NL), North Denmark Region (DK), Foundation Connekt ITS (NL), Federal Agency for Technological Measures Austriatech (AU), Departement Mobility and Public Works - department of traffic control Flanders (BE), Egis Mobilité (FR), Centrum dopravního výzkumu (CZ), Italian ITS Association TTS (IT), ITS Bretagne(FR), Evolving Systems Consulting (CZ).

The project's funding comes through the European Commission 7th Framework Programme.

Description of target users and groups

Procurement experts, experts and industry professionals from the ITS sector, procurement agencies.

Description of the way to implement the initiative

The project consists of the following work packages:

WP1: Led by the Ministry of Transport of The Netherlands. The Work package consortium partners are the Network Members, focusing on the needs and requirements of innovation and deployment of ITS services

WP2: Led by North Denmark Region. The Work package consortium partners are the Network Members, focusing on how pre-commercial procurement can stimulate innovation and improve market conditions of ITS.

WP3: Led by ERTICO - ITS Europe. The Work package consortium partners are the Network Members, focusing on the Consolidation, recommendations for stakeholders and roadmap for implementation thereof.

WP4: Dissemination and awareness.

WP5: Management, coordination of the Network.

Technology solution

Main results, benefits and impacts

The P3ITS project will start a dialogue between procurement experts, experts and industry professionals from the ITS sector and procurement agencies, with the aim of building a network of procurers and industry experts as consultation partners.

Due to the complexity of the topic, the project will address more or less 'isolated' problem definitions:

• P3ITS will first focus on the needs and requirements for the innovation and migration from RTD toward large scale market of cooperative ITS services.
• Secondly, P3ITS will focus on the options and mechanisms that pre-commercial public procurement - as a special structure for procurement - provides for risk sharing and stimulating innovation.
• Following the identification of requirements from industry and analysis of mechanisms for pre-commercial public procurement (PCP), the project will consolidate the results and extend the individual conclusions.

Lessons learnt

The Lessons learnt will be completed by the project responsibles as soon as the project is completed and based on the experiences gained.