Autonomous driving is gradually moving into public transport, where successful deployment depends on more than the vehicle itself. Operators need reliable control systems, accurate vehicle positioning, route management and the ability to supervise operations across an entire fleet. INIT, a provider of intelligent transport systems for public transport, is expanding its work in autonomous driving by combining vehicle automation with the digital systems needed to operate services reliably.

INIT’s strategy is backed by its acquisition of a 67.74% stake in Applied Autonomy, a Norwegian company specialising in software for operating and supervising autonomous vehicles. The acquisition, completed on 1 October 2026, strengthens INIT’s ability to combine autonomous driving technology with established public transport management systems.

Applied Autonomy’s core product, xFlow, is a manufacturer-independent platform that integrates autonomous vehicles from different suppliers, monitors them in real time and enables remote operator functions when no driver is on board. It also makes operational data available to other systems. Combined with INIT’s MOBILE-ITCS control system, xFlow can support mixed fleets containing both autonomous and conventional buses.

The technology is already being used in operational settings. Stavanger, Norway, operates a regular autonomous bus service without a safety driver, while two autonomous buses have been operating in Rotterdam since 2025. Rotterdam has also deployed what INIT describes as the world’s first autonomous airport bus service.

These examples highlight a critical step in autonomous public transport: moving beyond vehicle-level automation towards managing an entire service. Operators need to monitor vehicles, respond to technical issues, coordinate fleet movements and maintain reliable passenger services. A centralised supervision platform can help integrate these tasks into existing control-room operations.

INIT is also leading BRAVE10k, a three-year German research and implementation project focused on the conditions needed to introduce more than 10,000 autonomous vehicles into public transport by 2030. The project addresses the processes required for planning, procurement, road approval and operational deployment, recognising that scaling autonomous mobility requires organisational and regulatory development alongside technology.

The acquisition brings together long-term research and software that is already being used in the field. As public transport authorities explore autonomous shuttles and buses, solutions that connect vehicle automation with established operational systems could become essential to achieving reliable, scalable services.

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INIT. INIT reinforces leadership in autonomous driving [online]. 8 October 2026 [cited 2026-10-24]. Available from: https://www.initse.com/ende/news-resources/knowledge-database/press-releases/2026/init-reinforces-leadership-in-autonomous-driving/?open_in_layer=1

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