The EMBRACER self-driving at the Vilnius GreenTech Forum
On 7 November 2024, EMBRACER was presented at the Vilnius GreenTech Forum!
JUDU took part in the Forum, promoting a green transformation of the economy and business of Lithuania, not only in the face of global processes that highlight the importance of green progress, renewable energy, and pollution reduction, but also in the face of the threat that slow progress is tantamount to a continuing age of oil, higher fossil fuel prices. The Vilnius GreenTech Forum brings together the elite of business, politics, and science in Lithuania and the EU in the pursuit of the fastest possible green progress.
Elonas Saparnis, Public transport traffic organization engineer at JUDU, participated in the session on "Urban and real estate market decarbonisation" focusing on " Autonomous Transport: How Far Will It Take Us?". A general overview of EMBRACER was shared with the audience along with details about the pilot Vilnius is implementing and testing until the end of November thanks to the funds received through the Interreg Europe Program in EMBRACER.
Elonas described the experience of using an autonomous bus in Lithuania and globally. He outlined the potential benefits of autonomous buses, such as increased safety, significantly reduced emissions, lower operational resources required, as well as the challenges to be faced, including cybersecurity, high technology costs, public perception. He also shared details about the development and implementation of a test route in Vilnius.
Participants of the discussion inquired about the regulation of autonomous buses (e.g., liability in case of accidents). Elonas noted that regulatory issues are relevant across the entire EU, with significant efforts being made in this area. Additionally, participants asked about infrastructure needs. While Vilnius did not create dedicated infrastructure, traffic management and road signs were installed along the test route.