invent-online [greetings]

Traffic and transport continue to be key economic factors. They provide the basis for prosperity and progress and ensure our competitive ability. Mobility is also an important ingredient of quality of life, self-fulfillment, and personal freedom. However, in recent decades the increase in traffic has been accompanied by negative consequences such as accidents and congestion. Using innovative technologies, we now have the opportunity to find sustainable solutions to these problems. Within a few years thanks to advanced sensor and communication technologies a new generation of vehicles will see and think along with the driver and automatically communicate with traffic management centers and with other vehicles. Intelligent assistance systems will thus support drivers in critical situations and provide alternative routes to avoid congestion.

	We have a responsibility to implement these innovative solutions by continuing research and development in the area of transport and traffic safety. However, these complex and interwoven problems cannot be solved in isolation. They require the concerted cooperation of leaders in science, industry, and politics as achieved in the research initiative INVENT. By exploring new directions toward elimination of traffic accidents and improvement of traffic organization processes, INVENT is going in the right direction.

	Edelgard Bulmahn, Federal Minister of Education and Research

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