International technology company Continental is partnering with the US Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT)'s Smart City Challenge.
Continental has initially pledged at least $1m to the winning city to provide improved safety and connectivity technology to its transportation network.
As part of its commitment, Continental will provide advanced sensing, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communication technology to increase traffic safety at intersections and provide a platform for intelligent transportation systems of the future.
The Smart City Challenge is a competition which will create a fully integrated, first-of-its-kind city that uses data, technology and creativity to shape how people and goods move in the future.
Continental North America CEO Samir Salman said: "At Continental, safety is at the cornerstone of everything we do. That is why we are proud to join the U.S. DOT's national Smart City Challenge as a key provider of active safety technology and secure connectivity to help advance the development of future mobility services such as automated driving infrastructure solutions, Intelligent Transportation Systems led by our Silicon Valley team and V2X technology.
"The Smart City Challenge aligns with our company's mission of Vision Zero, which is our goal to globally eliminate traffic and road fatalities, making mobility safer, more convenient and more efficient for everyone."
based in Silicon Valley Continental Intelligent Transportation Systems CEO Seval Oz said: "The Smart City Challenge is a historic moment in the future of mobility. It is an exciting venture that requires tremendous private and public sector collaboration.
"The ITS team is stepping up to work together with the U.S. DOT and the winning city to provide the critical systems and services to advance U.S. cities in preparation for future mobility."
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx recently announced that Columbus, Ohio has been selected as the winner of the Smart City Challenge. Other finalist cities include: Austin, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Kansas City, Mo.; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said: "This competition has transformed major U.S. cities into critically needed laboratories of innovation with the potential to solve transportation challenges that prioritize safety, innovation and equity that exist nationwide.
"By fostering creative collaboration, this announcement and the existing precedent-setting public-private partnerships will strengthen the winning city's ability to bring their bold visions to life."
The Smart City Challenge was launched by Secretary Foxx in December 2015 in response to the trends identified in the Beyond Traffic draft report.
