For over 30 years, EuroSign has been producing both standard and custom-made traffic signs in Fernelmont near Namur, with extremely short delivery lead times. The company is currently working on a smart traffic control system that could revolutionise the market.
EuroSign first approached Sirris for help with the development of products targeted at export markets. Soon after, the Sirris experts proposed to EuroSign an innovative product idea: traffic signs made of plastic. EuroSign hesitated to begin with, but when it analysed the advantages of plastic signs, it discovered that plastic offers superior resistance thanks to its shape memory, and that plastic signs are currently less susceptible to theft than their aluminium counterparts. Sirris saw potential for further refinements and suggested producing traffic signs that can communicate independently.
An innovative product and business model
The “SmartSign” project has a number of distinctive features: its signs are produced from recycled and recyclable plastic, making them more sustainable. SmartSigns can issue alerts to service vehicles in the area (patrol cars, garbage trucks, etc.) of the incidents they detect, such as a collision, a wrong orientation, etc. Information obtained through its proprietary network enables EuroSign to schedule the prompt repair and replacement of its signs.
The originality of the project stems from a combination of its advanced technical innovations, as well as its novel business model. EuroSign also provides a maintenance service as a leasing package, which relieves road authorities of the hassle of purchasing, repairing and replacing traffic signs, and has the added advantage of providing them with a fixed cost base to facilitate budgeting.
The software is already operational while prototypes are currently being tested on the roads of Fernelmont. The concept is expected to be brought to market in June 2021, while a number of potential innovations linked to the sensor box have already been considered, such as the measurement of air quality, communication with autonomous vehicles in the future, etc.
EuroSign has already gained significant expertise in plastics and IT while carrying out this project together with Sirris and Multitel. The wide range of application options requires improved focus.
