The South Australian Government is investing $10 million to boost testing, research and development of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies in the state.
The initiative was launched at the 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) held in Melbourne this week.
South Australian Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan explained that connected and autonomous vehicles can deliver big benefits for the state as they have the capacity to reduce congestions, save lives and help people get around their communities with more freedom.
“We need to know more about what changes are needed to our roads and our laws so that this technology can improve safety on the roads, improve mobility for people with disabilities and reduce congestion and emissions,” he said.
“As the demand on our roads continues to grow, it’s vital that we look for more efficient ways to move traffic around the State.”
The state government will invite companies, industry bodies, research institutions and other organisations to submit creative proposals that will accelerate the development and implementation of connected and autonomous vehicle technology, focusing on three themes: autonomous vehicle testing and demonstrations, connected vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure pilots and demonstrations, and research and development.
“We are looking for creative proposals that will accelerate the roll-out of these technologies on our roads and open up new opportunities for South Australian businesses and our economy,” continued Mr. Mullighan.
“We already have world leading companies in this field. Cohda Wireless, SAGE Automation and Sydac are all based in South Australia and are some of our most impressive success stories.
“Transforming the South Australian economy depends on our ability to adopt new ways of doing things, using advanced technologies to build globally competitive, high-value firms and sustainable, well-paid jobs.”