During a Latvian business delegation’s visit to Germany, technology company dots. and autonomous mobility company HOLON agreed to cooperate in advancing the autonomous transport sector in the Baltics. The partners plan to secure EUR 30 million in funding from various European Union funds and development programmes. The initiative includes establishing an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia and implementing pilot projects for passenger transport in urban and regional areas.
“Autonomous transport is becoming one of the most important areas in the future development of mobility. It is therefore essential for Europe to build its own technological, manufacturing and infrastructure capacity. By working with international partners, Latvia has an opportunity to become a significant strategic player in this sector. One of the key prerequisites is the establishment of an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia, which would provide a foundation for technology development, testing and deployment. It would facilitate the implementation of various pilot projects in cities and regions, help address current passenger transport challenges, and create new business and export opportunities. This would enable Latvia to become not only a user of autonomous mobility solutions but also a centre for their development, manufacturing and export across the Baltic and European markets,” says Edgars Starķis, Head of Traffic Safety Innovation and Smart Mobility Solutions Development at technology company dots.
One of the central areas of cooperation being considered by the two companies is the establishment of an autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility in Latvia. It would lay the foundation for a comprehensive industry ecosystem in the Baltics and the wider Baltic Sea region, encompassing vehicle and component manufacturing, software and artificial intelligence development, testing, certification, infrastructure adaptation and vehicle maintenance. Local manufacturing would also create new high-value-added jobs and facilitate the integration of Latvian companies into European autonomous mobility supply chains.
The second area of cooperation involves autonomous transport pilot projects in cities and regions. These projects would test the use of autonomous mobility solutions in everyday passenger transport, including connections to public transport hubs, improved accessibility in less densely populated areas and routes where conventional transport services are difficult or economically inefficient to operate. The pilot projects would make it possible to assess the safety of the technology, infrastructure readiness, public demand and the regulatory changes required for the sector.
In the near future, the partners will develop a joint funding strategy, refine the development model for the manufacturing facility and define the technical requirements for potential pilot projects. Public- and private-sector partners, municipalities, transport operators, research institutions, and local technology and manufacturing companies are expected to be involved in preparing the projects. Their implementation will depend on the conditions of the relevant funding programmes, agreements between the partners and the receipt of the necessary permits.
The companies reached the agreement on future cooperation during a business delegation’s visit to Germany organised by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia and attended by Latvia’s Minister of Economics, Viktors Valainis. During the discussions, dots. and HOLON identified common areas for development and agreed to work together on securing European Union funding, establishing a manufacturing project and implementing autonomous transport pilot projects in the Baltic States.
Latvian information technology company dots. develops data- and artificial intelligence-based solutions. Its smart traffic solutions team, Fits Traffic, specialises in traffic data analysis, infrastructure management, mobility planning and road safety solutions.
German company HOLON develops fully electric autonomous shuttles for public transport and mobility services. Cooperation with dots. would combine HOLON’s expertise in autonomous vehicle development with Latvia’s technological capabilities in traffic data analysis, smart mobility solutions and transport infrastructure management.
In the near future, the partners will develop a joint funding strategy, refine the development model for the manufacturing facility and define the technical requirements for potential pilot projects. Public- and private-sector partners, municipalities, transport operators, research institutions, and local technology and manufacturing companies are expected to be involved in preparing the projects. Their implementation will depend on the conditions of the relevant funding programmes, agreements between the partners and the receipt of the necessary permits.
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