IRF Member

São Paulo, Brazil, London, UK – September 28, 2026.  Valerann, a global leader in advanced traffic management systems, today announced a 6-month trial deployment with Via Appia, concessionaire of Rodovia das Colinas, across an approximately 32 km section of the corridor in São Paulo state, Brazil. First of its kind in Brazil, the trial will evaluate how AI-powered data fusion improves network visibility, incident detection accuracy, and operator situational awareness, ahead of a planned 12-month operational deployment across the wider network.

The trial will deploy Lanternn across the selected 32 km section of Via Colinas, integrating 11 CCTV cameras alongside available traffic sensor and operational data sources. The corridor forms part of a broader 307 km concession spanning five interconnected highways within the São Paulo state road network, one of the busiest in the region, carrying average daily traffic of approximately 40,000 vehicles.

Operators along the corridor currently draw information from CCTV, traffic sensors, patrol operations, and third-party data sources. While each system provides valuable information, operators must often monitor separate interfaces and independently correlate alerts under time pressure, particularly across sections where detection coverage varies.

Lanternn integrates these sources into a single real-time operational picture. Its AI-powered data fusion engine, supported by proprietary Computer Vision, continuously correlates information from across the network to support automated event detection, prioritization, and faster operator decision-making, without requiring changes to existing workflows or additional roadside infrastructure.

“This trial marks Lanternn's first deployment in Brazil and an important step in Valerann's expansion across Latin America,” says Gabriel Jacobson, CEO of Valerann. “Via Appia's ambition to lead the market through technology is exactly the kind of partnership we look for - one where innovation is applied with a clear purpose: making roads safer and journeys better for the people who use them. We're proud to support that vision on Via Colinas.”

“Via Appia is a company that constantly seeks to incorporate new elements to make its operations more efficient and safer for our customers and workers.” - says Brendon Ramos, CEO of Via Appia Concessions. “We believe this partnership with Valerann will yield significant and impactful results for the highway concession sector in Brazil.”

The trial will assess detection accuracy, detection speed, and system reliability against defined performance targets, alongside operator feedback on usability and situational awareness. It will also examine how Via Appia can move from fragmented monitoring toward a more integrated, data-driven operating model, with AI supporting rather than replacing the expertise of human operators.

Findings will be jointly reviewed by Valerann and Via Appia and will form the basis for confirming a transition to a 12-month operational deployment, with the objective of expanding the solution across the full Rodovia das Colinas network.

The trial also supports Via Appia's long-term vision to put technology in service of safer roads, better journeys, and stronger operational performance across its network. Via Appia has stated its commitment to work tirelessly to provide safety and comfort for everyone who travels its highways, and this trial gives that commitment a concrete, technology-led expression - reflecting the company's ambition to lead the market in the adoption of advanced traffic management technology and to continually improve the experience of the road users who rely on its network every day.

About Via Appia
Via Appia Concessões S.A. is a highway concession company operating over 1,000 kilometers of roads in São Paulo and Minas Gerais (states of Brazil), committed to providing high-quality, safe infrastructure services to the users of the highways under its management. Founded in 2023 with a focus on customer experience and continuous investment in technology and innovation, Via Appia seeks to improve highway efficiency and service delivery, while also contributing to the socioeconomic and sustainable development of the regions where it operates.

About Valerann
Valerann, a global leader in advanced road traffic management and incident detection solutions, redefines modern mobility through data-driven insights that enhance roadway safety and operational efficiency. Its multi-award-winning platform, Lanternn, is trusted by public and private road authorities across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and LATAM. As the world's first AI-native system, Lanternn places real-time data at the center of decision-making, enabling proactive road management and delivering double-digit improvements in detection time, accuracy, and road safety.

For additional information, visit www.valerann.ai and follow

Trento (Italy), London, UK, September 22 2006 — Valerann, a global leader in advanced traffic management systems, today announced a 12-month pilot project with Autostrada del Brennero, a major European transit artery, across an 87 km section of the A22 motorway. First of its kind in Italy, the project will evaluate how AI-powered data fusion improves network visibility, incident detection and response, operator situational awareness, and risk management while optimizing the use of existing infrastructure and resources. The initiative will also contribute to Autostrada del Brennero’s objectives within the European VERKKO project, the roll-out of C-ITS systems and the Green Corridor.

The pilot will deploy Lanternn across an 87 km section between the Brenner Pass and Bolzano South. This stretch forms part of the Scandinavian–Mediterranean TEN-T Corridor, one of Europe’s busiest freight and passenger routes, and operates under challenging Alpine conditions that include tunnels, viaducts, steep gradients, and rapidly changing weather.
Motorway operators currently draw information from multiple specialized systems, including CCTV, traffic detectors, weather stations, floating vehicle data, and other roadside and third-party sources. While each system provides valuable information, operators must often monitor separate interfaces and independently correlate alerts under time pressure.

Lanternn integrates these sources into a single real-time operational picture. Its AI-powered data fusion engine continuously correlates information from across the network to support automatic incident detection, dynamic risk assessment, and faster operator decision-making. By reducing information overload, the platform helps operators identify potentially hazardous situations earlier.

“Our work with road operators consistently shows that the challenge is not a lack of information, but the difficulty of turning fragmented data into a clear and actionable view of the network,” - says Gabriel Jacobson, CEO of Valerann. “Lanternn helps operators focus on what matters most by automatically correlating and validating information from across their existing systems. This pilot will demonstrate how data fusion strengthens situational awareness and supports faster, more confident decisions without requiring a wholesale replacement of roadside infrastructure.”

“For Autostrada del Brennero,” observes Carlo Costa, General Technical Director of Autobrennero, “digital innovation is a key tool for further enhancing the safety and efficiency of infrastructure management. Our network runs through challenging landscapes crossing an Alpine area characterized by tunnels, viaducts, steep gradients and rapidly changing weather conditions, where timely and reliable information is essential to support operational decision-making.

With this pilot project, we are taking a further step forward: integrating and fully leveraging the data generated by the systems already deployed across our infrastructure, turning them into actionable information that can help us understand more quickly what is happening on the network and respond even more effectively. Artificial intelligence does not replace the experience of our operators; rather, it strengthens it by providing them with a more comprehensive and timely view of events.

The project also represents an important opportunity to assess, in practical terms, how artificial intelligence and data fusion can contribute to our strategy of moving towards increasingly connected, predictive and safety-oriented infrastructure management.”

The pilot will assess detection performance, technical integration pathways, and operational benefits. It will also examine the changes required to move from fragmented monitoring toward a more integrated, data-driven operating model, with AI supporting rather than replacing the expertise of human operators.

Findings will be jointly reviewed by Valerann and Autostrada del Brennero and will inform the potential wider deployment of the platform across the A22 network
 
About Autostrada del Brennero

Autostrada del Brennero S.p.A. operates the A22 motorway under a concession. Stretching for 314 kilometres, the motorway connects Modena with the Brenner Pass along one of the main transport corridors between Central Europe and the Mediterranean. The Company continuously invests in infrastructure safety, digitalisation and sustainability, with the aim of developing increasingly efficient, connected and low-emission mobility.
For additional information, visit www.autobrennero.it.
 
About Valerann

Valerann, a global leader in advanced road traffic management and incident detection solutions, redefines modern mobility through data-driven insights that enhance roadway safety and operational efficiency. Its multi-award-winning platform, Lanternn, is trusted by public and private road authorities across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and LATAM. As the world's first AI-native system, Lanternn places real-time data at the center of decision-making, enabling proactive road management and delivering double-digit improvements in detection time, accuracy, and road safety.
For additional information, visit www.valerann.ai and follow us on our official LinkedIn channel. For press enquiries, please contact us at press@valerann.com.

Madrid, 27–28 October 2026 — Autonomous mobility is moving beyond experimentation. Across Europe and beyond, cities, operators, technology companies and regulators are working to determine how automated vehicles can operate safely, efficiently and at scale in real-world environments.

Madrid is emerging as an important testing ground for this transition.
Since September 2025, EMT Madrid has been operating an SAE Level 4 autonomous bus, providing a live example of automated public transport in an urban environment. The service has received an 8.4/10 user rating, offering practical insight into how passengers experience autonomous mobility.

Madrid is also home to the Villaverde Mobility Sandbox, which provides operators with approximately 20 km² of real urban environment in which to test mobility solutions. The sandbox is described as the largest regulatory sandbox of its kind in Europe, creating opportunities to move technologies from controlled demonstrations towards real-world deployment.

At the same time, the regulatory environment is evolving. Developments at international, European and national levels are establishing the framework within which automated driving systems will be deployed. These include the UNECE global framework for automated driving systems, the European Union's Automotive Industrial Action Plan, and regulatory developments from Spain's Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT).

These developments raise practical questions for the road and mobility sector: How quickly can autonomous vehicles move from pilots to wider deployment? What can Europe learn from existing live projects? How should regulation evolve alongside technology? And what infrastructure, data and public-sector capabilities will be required to support autonomous mobility at scale?

These questions will take centre stage at the Madrid Autonomous Mobility Summit (MAMS2026), taking place on 27–28 October 2026.

Promoted by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid and organised by IRF Member FACTUAL, with the support of Impulso Mobility, Kairos Innovation Consulting and Connected Mobility HUB, the summit brings together stakeholders working across the autonomous mobility ecosystem. 

Waymo is Gold Partner, with PAVE Europe and Freenow as Silver Partners.
Over two days, MAMS2026 will examine the international race for autonomous vehicle adoption, lessons emerging from Europe's live pilots, and the regulatory pathway from the EU framework to Spanish law.

Discussions will also explore Madrid's autonomous mobility roadmap and the future applications of automated systems in both passenger transport and logistics.

For road authorities, transport operators, policymakers, technology providers and other mobility professionals, the summit provides an opportunity to examine autonomous mobility through both the technology and the systems needed to deploy it: regulation, infrastructure, operations, public acceptance and commercialisation.

Join the conversation in Madrid on 27–28 October at MAMS2026.

Article by Kevin Borras | Originally published by Highways News
 
AI technology is being tested to alert drivers and authorities more quickly to someone driving the wrong way down a motorway and to assist the police in their pursuit of the individuals.

Ireland’s Minister of State for Road Safety Seán Canney outlined the possible move as he separately said new tougher laws to tackle a spate of recent wrong-way motorway driving incidents will be drafted next week and could be in place by the end of the year, reports RTE.

The move comes after Fine Gael TD Catherine Callaghan called on the Government to examine road safety measures used in other European countries to better protect innocent road users from the devastating consequences of wrong-way driving.

Deputy Callaghan said recent events have left many families and communities shocked and heartbroken, and that every possible step should be taken to reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring in the future.

Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings after an initial meeting with gardaí, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Road Safety Authority, Minister Canney said it is crucial Ireland makes wrong-way motorway driving an “intolerable” act in this country.

“Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are strengthening their road safety efforts and are trying new tech to deal with challenges like this,” says Valerann’s Olga Gonzalez. “Valerann’s Lanternn AI-powered incident detection platform is one of those solutions. It is already deployed on the TII’s strategic network and uses the installed PTZ cameras to detect wrong-way driving. In addition, it processes data from multiple sources to contextually process information and provide holisstic real-time traffic information.

“We constantly update capabilities of our product and we have recently added wrong way driving detection as a new feature. TII are one of the customers that are combining computer vision tech with data fusion to have better anomaly detection on the network and to provide a timely, relevant response.”

The Independent TD said the trial includes the potential use of AI technology in conjunction with the existing road camera network, which he said could help to better protect the public by providing quicker safety warnings.
“There is an opportunity with AI and the camera technology which we have at the moment,” Minister Canney said. “The M50, for example, is well covered with cameras, and on the road to Cork there is a lot of camera networks there.

“What we need to do is continue with AI technology to help us detect quicker what’s going on, maybe have alerts quicker, and also the gardaí would then maybe be better placed to see how they deal with it.”

Minister Canney separately said his department, which will have formal responsibility for any upcoming law changes, will meet with Department of Justice and other officials “next week” to draft new legislation to address wrong-way motorway driving.

Pressed on what it would involve and why any new legislation is needed when the act is already illegal, he said “the penalty” would be tougher, but did not elaborate, later confirming he believes potential new laws will be part of the new Dáil term’s priority legislation, and that he wants them in place by the end of the year.

He said other road safety measures are being examined based on protections for the public in place in other countries, name-checking the US.

Mr Canney was also separately asked if he has confidence in the Road Safety Authority’s most senior officials, saying he has “full confidence” in the organisation.

Mazaka Heavy Industry
Infrastructure Machinery Solutions
 
Mazaka Heavy Industry is a Türkiye-based manufacturer providing advanced machinery solutions for road infrastructure, renewable energy, and field applications. Established in 1987, the company operates in a 30,000 m² production facility and exports its machinery to customers in more than 60 countries worldwide.

With decades of manufacturing experience, Mazaka focuses on developing durable, practical, and efficient machines designed for demanding working conditions. The company combines smart engineering, user-oriented machine design, and continuous product development to deliver reliable solutions for infrastructure and industrial projects across global markets.

Mazaka’s product range primarily serves the solar energy and road infrastructure sectors and includes:

• Road barrier pile driving machines
• Solar pile driving systems
• Drilling and pile driving attachments
• Scissor man lift platforms for solar mounting and agriculture
• Truck-mounted rough terrain forklifts
• Truck-mounted crawler forklifts
• Solar panel cleaning brushes
• Vacuum lifting attachments for solar panel installation applications

In addition to machine manufacturing, Mazaka places strong emphasis on responsive after-sales support and technical service. Through its growing international operations and customer-focused approach, the company continues to strengthen long-term partnerships and provide practical solutions tailored to field requirements.

As part of its 2026 growth strategy, Mazaka aims to further strengthen its presence in international markets while continuing to invest in sustainable industrial technologies, innovative engineering solutions, and global business collaborations.
Through its membership in international industry organizations such as the International Road Federation (IRF), Mazaka also aims to contribute to global infrastructure development and industry cooperation.

Athens, Greece & London, UK | 26th of May 2026

Nea Odos SA, a leading motorway concessionaire in Greece, and Valerann, a global pioneer in AI-based traffic operations and analytics, today announced the full deployment of Valerann’s flagship platform,  Lanternn, across the  196 km Ionia Odos motorway (A5).

With this rollout, Nea Odos becomes the first motorway operator in Greece to implement an AI-driven system for real-time traffic management and incident response. The commercial deployment follows the successful completion of a pilot on a 40 km section of the A1 (A.Th.E.) motorway.

During the pilot phase, Lanternn in close cooperation with Nea Odos, demonstrated significant operational improvements, including a increase in detected incidents compared to existing methods, earlier detection of incidents by more than 15 minutes, alert accuracy, and a reduction in operational noise, transforming tens of thousands of daily data points into a limited number of actionable alerts.

Building on these results, Nea Odos move to a second level of extended deployment and now Lanternn is live along the full length of Ionia Odos, from the Rio–Antirrio Bridge in the south to the Egnatia Odos interchange near Ioannina. The platform fuses data from multiple sources—such as roadside sensors and cameras, navigation applications, and weather feeds—into a unified, AI-powered operational view. This enables enhanced
situational awareness, automated incident detection in the open motorway, and continuous risk profiling across one of Greece’s most strategically important motorways, which forms part of the European E65 route.

The deployment positions Nea Odos, as well as the wider GEK TERNA Group motorway concessions portfolio, at the forefront of intelligent road operations in Southeastern Europe, establishing a scalable reference model for future AI-enabled motorway management.

Rodianos Antonakopoulos, CEO of Nea Odos, said: “Since 2020, Nea Odos has strategically invested in innovative technologies and AI, driven by our vision to transform motorway operations through smarter, safer, and more proactive infrastructure management, always with road safety as our highest priority.

In close collaboration with Valerann, we were able to combine this vision with their advanced technological expertise and platform capabilities, creating a tailor-made solution fully aligned with our operational needs and ambitions. This partnership enabled us to transform a strategic vision into a practical and highly effective operational tool.

The pilot results exceeded our expectations, clearly demonstrating the value of AI, data fusion, and predictive analytics in enhancing incident detection and response capabilities.

This expansion further strengthens our ability to deliver safer, smarter, and more efficient motorways for our users.”

““Deploying Lanternn across the entire Ionia Odos is a landmark moment for Greece. Every kilometre of this corridor now benefits from AI-driven insights that help operators detect incidents sooner, cut through operational noise, and act decisively. We see this as a blueprint for the future of motorway operations across Europe.”

About Nea Odos
Nea Odos is the company that has undertaken the design, planning, construction, exploitation, operation, and maintenance of the ‘Ionia Odos’ Concession project. This revitalisation projectincludes the following main motorways:

- The A5 motorway motorway known by the name ‘Ionia Odos’, which is 196 km long, from Antirrio to Ioannina (Interchange with Egnatia Odos). This motorway is incredibly
important from a social and development perspective, since:

- It connects all of Western Greece, significantly upgrading urban and rural centres,
such as Ioannina, Arta, and Agrinio

- It crosses two regions and four prefectures, and which comes to cover a demand
that has existed for many years and provide a new development boost.

- It contributes to the more adequate connection of the ports of Patras, Astakos, and Igoumenitsa, significant ports of Greece

Its technical characteristics include 24 bridges with a total length of 7 km, 4 tunnels with a total length of 11.2 km, 77 underpasses and 24 overpasses. 
Having undertaken a revitalisation project with a total budget of 1.1 billion €, the strategic goal of Nea Odos is to construct, operate, maintain, and manage modern European standard motorways that will contribute to the growth of the national economy, ensure the protection of the environment, and enhance the quality of life of society at large.

About Valerann

Valerann is a global leader in advanced road traffic management solutions (ATMS), redefining modern mobility through enhanced roadway safety and operational efficiency. Leveraging proprietary AI and computer vision algorithms, Valerann in real time processes vast volumes of traffic data in real time to enable accurate, timely, and actionable decision-making.
Its industry-leading cloud platform, Lanternn, empowers road traffic authorities with real-time situational awareness, risk profiling, and significantly faster incident detection. The multi-award-winning solution is trusted by public and private operators across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central and Latin America, delivering double-digit
reductions in accident rates through more proactive traffic management.

For additional information, visit www.valerann.com and follow us on our official LinkedIn channel. For press enquiries, please contact us at press@valerann.com.

TRL has been appointed by the Department for Transport (DfT) as the PAS 2161 approvals auditor, supporting the consistent and independent assessment of road condition monitoring (RCM) technologies across England through to 31^st December 2030.

Under the contract, TRL will independently assess and approve technology providers to verify that their systems can deliver road condition data in accordance with PAS 2161 requirements. This will provide local highway authorities with greater confidence that the data used to inform highway maintenance and asset management decisions is accurate, compliant and nationally comparable, regardless of the technology platform used, supporting evidence-based asset management and long-term investment decisions across the highway network.

PAS 2161 establishes a consistent framework for collecting and reporting RCM data, enabling comparable network-level reporting regardless of the technology used. From 2026 onwards, local highway authorities will be required to submit classified road condition data to DfT in the PAS 2161 format, using technologies approved through the formal assessment process.

Mat Brough, Director of Asset Management for TRL, said: “TRL is delighted to have been appointed by the Department for Transport as the PAS 2161 approvals auditor, supporting the consistent assessment of road condition monitoring technologies across England.

“In this role, TRL will independently assess technology providers to ensure they can deliver road condition data in line with PAS 2161, the national standard for road condition assessment. This will enable local highway authorities to compare outputs with confidence, regardless of the technology used, helping to ensure that the data informing highway asset management decisions is accurate, compliant and suitable for national benchmarking.”

“Alongside the approvals process, TRL will work closely with local highway authorities and technology suppliers to raise awareness of PAS 2161, support supplier engagement, and ensure approved technologies continue to meet the required standard through the ongoing two-year re-approval cycle.”

Technology providers interested in achieving PAS 2161 approval and local highway authorities seeking further information on the approvals process will be able to access guidance and support through TRL over the duration of the contract.

TRL will be seeking/engaging local authority engineers to provide independent impartial assessment of benchmark sites.

Technology providers and Local authorities can contact TRL via RCMTrials@trl.co.uk or visit PAS 2161