Improving the Way the World Moves With Location Technology - HERE Technologies' VP Remco Timmer

HERE Technologies has been map-making and developing location technology for over 35 years. From OEMs to logistics companies through to retailers, organisations use its platform to build custom location services, create live maps, and gain access to accurate and fresh map data.

"From autonomous driving to seamless logistics and new mobility experiences, HERE allows its partners and customers to innovate while retaining control over their data and safeguarding privacy," Remco Timmer, Vice President, Product Management, at HERE Technologies, tells Auto Futures.

Today, more than 160 million vehicles run on HERE map data or services.

"We are proud to have customers across a variety of industries that include some of the biggest and best-known brands," he says.

One of those brands is the Swiss retailer Migros, which has developed a commercial fleet analytics tool that predicts the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per route. CO₂ Insights was built using HERE's location data and services.

"HERE Technologies is very much committed to helping its customers become more sustainable," explains Timmer.

"The tool considers factors such as vehicle and fuel type, traffic conditions and the road networks’ physical attributes, including topography, curvature, slope and elevation. CO₂ Insights also recommends the most appropriate commercial vehicle with the most appropriate engine – diesel, electric, bio-gas or hydrogen – to produce the least CO₂ for any given route."

By doing so, CO₂ Insights supports the transition to a CO₂ neutral commercial fleet and contributes to reducing pollution.

"Additionally, we’re working with Bosch and Transport for London (TfL) to measure and improve the air quality in the London Borough of Lambeth by reducing traffic congestion. The project led to a marked improvement in localised air quality, smoother traffic flow, reduced traffic congestion, and a greater understanding of how wind and the weather affect the dispersion of pollutants across the inner-city area," says Timmer.

As well as making transport more sustainble, precise location data can also make fleets more efficient. 

"Real-time location data can improve the efficiency of the supply chain, aiding visibility of arrival times and enabling fleet managers to recalculate loading and unloading points on-time. IoT can integrate additional factors into this, such as whether the delivery is made by rail, air, sea or by truck, whether the goods are packaged or brought in bulk, and the rates of the loading points. Products will be more easily tracked in real time, creating a more efficient and cheaper supply chain," he explains.

Over the last few years, Europe and the UK have suffered a supply chain crisis, which has had a major impact on manufacturing. Location technology can help ease the challenges faced by companies by allowing them to view their assets in a detailed, comprehensive and accurate manner.

"By applying the technology across the chain, it can help goods get transported efficiently and smoothly, using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors used to track the condition of the shipment. On top of this, location-based data is accurate and runs in real-time which gives companies the visibility they need to manage their connections. Shipments can all be remotely tracked and monitored efficiently by professionals such as fleet managers." 

Why Collaboration is Key For HERE

The company has recently achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Supply Chain Competency which recognises HERE for helping customers solve their critical supply chain challenges. 

"We’ve also entered into a five-year strategic collaboration agreement with AWS to help organisations improve their supply chain visibility, T&L, fleet routing, and estimated times of arrival (ETAs) from the first-to-last mile of delivery."

HERE Technologies is a privately held company whose investors and customers span many different industries. In the automotive sector, its customers include Lotus, VinFast and BMW. 

Timmer believes collaboration is key to generating better and more seamless transportation systems.

"As a recent example of this, we’ve provided the integration needed to allow what3words to be inputted into Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicles. Additionally, BMW has selected HERE as its provider of real-time traffic information to BMW drivers in 70 countries. Our latest predictive routing capabilities are also powering the innovative 'Learning Navigation' feature of BMW Maps as part of the BMW Operating System 8," he says.

The '15-Minute City'

With 5G networks rolling out across countries globally, ultra high-speed connectivity is expected to play a major role in mobility.

"I believe that it is not going to be the logistics industry, per se, pushing the adoption of 5G, but the adoption by other industries like entertainment. 5G will support the rollout of autonomous vehicles and will make transport and logistics – especially on small sites – much more efficient than today."

Finally, we asked Timmer what urban mobility will look like by 2030,

"Mobility-related technologies, like data visualisation, electric, connected and automated vehicle systems, and smart city and transportation planning will undergo rapid advancements in the coming years, assisting us in the return to everyday activities in extraordinary ways," he predicts.

"We will see more cities adopting travel time goals, such as becoming a ‘15-minute city’. For people in urban areas, the goal of 15-minute neighbourhoods is to offer quality of life benefits, like decreasing time spent on errands, and reducing pollution while providing multimodal transportation. Providing consumers with flexibility is key with these initiatives."

"By continuing to improve the experience and efficiency of urban mobility options, we will see the benefits: reduced air pollution, less traffic congestion, and the added benefit of giving you back time in your day," concludes Timmer.