Objectives of the service
The SETSITS project aims to transform how road operators manage national-scale road networks, arterial roads and intersections, addressing global challenges in road safety, traffic efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Each year, over 1.3 million lives are lost in road accidents, and 5.6 billion metric tons of CO₂ are emitted. Operators, often responsible for thousands of miles of roads, rely on manual processes—such as answering phone calls and patrolling—that are prone to delays and errors. While information from connected vehicles, navigation apps, and satellites offer real-time insights, operators face challenges in fully leveraging this fragmented data.
SETSITS is developing Lanternn by Valerann™ for Networks, an advanced traffic management platform that integrates diverse data streams—including connected vehicles, roadside sensors, and satellite-enabled weather services—to provide real-time traffic flow information and actionable insights, enabling operators to proactively respond to incidents, disruptions, and maintenance needs. By leveraging live GNSS feeds, the system enhances fleet coordination for emergency and service vehicles, which also act as mobile data stations to strengthen road intelligence.
The project aims to revolutionise road network management, reduce accidents and fatalities, optimise traffic flow and cut emissions, supporting smarter, safer, and greener road networks globally.
Users and their needs
Valerann has two primary user communities: National-Scale Networks and Urban Networks
Needs: Cost-effective and tailored solutions for managing large-scale and urban road networks, including real-time monitoring and incident detection, traffic flow optimisation, and predictive maintenance insights.
Challenges: Operational budget constraints, limited data coverage, and the need for simplified, user-friendly systems pose challenges to improving traffic and maintenance operations.
Key Users
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Road Network Control Centre Operators - control centre operators that monitor a network.
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Road Network Control Centre Supervisors/Managers - managers and supervisors within road network control centres.
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Road Network Operator Management/Leadership - senior leadership responsible for safety, ITS and operational strategy.
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Network Operator ITS Implementation Teams - cross-functional staff involved in ITS operations, project management and change management that are responsible for implementing new technology solutions within the road network and its control centres.
Service/ system concept
Lanternn by Valerann™ for networks enhances road safety by increasing detection accuracy and response relevance, while reducing response time for incidents such as traffic accidents, traffic and road hazards. It prioritises high-impact occurrences based on operator objectives, enabling fast and effective response. Identifying risks early, the system ensures rapid return-to-normal, improves network performance, increases road capacity, and reduces journey times.
The system creates an interconnected repository of road monitoring data and operator actions. For municipalities, the platform supports responsive timing plans to reduce congestion and improve network throughput. By integrating transit and traffic data, operators can minimise network pressure and environmental impact.
Using Valerann’s proprietary Data Fusion engine, the system provides accurate, real-time data, regardless of environmental conditions and sensor issues. It reduces false positives, optimises resource use, and enhances the capabilities of existing ITS equipment, minimising the need for investment into infrastructure upgrades. Agile, hardware and software agnostic, the system offers a seamless user experience. Ultimately, it enables more efficient, safer traffic management while supporting operational excellence.
Space Added Value
The solution leverages vast volumes of traffic-related data from high geographical coverage sources (e.g., connected vehicles, navigation apps) as well as data from more robust but lower coverage anchor points (e.g., CCTV, IoT), fleet GPS (e.g., Webfleet), satellite-based fleet tracking, and weather alerts to enhance operational efficiency across vast road networks. By integrating with satellite-enabled fleet management systems, road operators are able to monitor live vehicle locations, such as emergency, patrol, and snowplough vehicles, using GNSS data to identify the closest vehicle to incidents and optimise responses. This satellite data, via secure VPN or direct network integration, improves coordination across diverse fleet types and enables proactive measures such as winter maintenance based on weather forecasts. Additionally, satellite-enabled weather services provide timely alerts about hazardous conditions, such as hailstorms or ice risks, allowing operators to plan maintenance and mitigate risks more effectively. Combined, these space assets enable real-time monitoring, better prioritisation, and more informed decision-making compared to traditional methods, offering superior coverage, response time, and risk management across both national and urban road networks.
Current Status
Since September 2024, Valerann has engaged globally with potential customers to define and promote the SETSITS solution. This includes pilots with Brisa (Portugal), National Highways (England), and NYDOT (USA), all of which have expressed interest and contributed to shaping the system requirements. Insights from these collaborations have informed the Requirements and System Architecture, as well as refined the project’s strategic objectives outlined in the Business Plan.
Valerann is actively engaging with state-level and urban network operators, including TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland), NYDOT, and Caltrans. The company also continues to expand its team with ongoing hiring efforts in engineering, product, and data science. Valerann was recently honoured with the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, recognising the company’s significant contributions to improving safety
Prime Contractor(s)
