Profile:
ITS Niedersachsen, formerly known as „GZVB – Gesamtzentrum für Verkehr Braunschweig“ (Aggregate Centre for Transport Braunschweig), was given the clear assignment of serving as the neutral representative of the whole of the Niedersachsen region, acting on the national and international arena and standing for topics focusing mainly on intelligent transport systems and services. The safety critical applications and their associated requirements on technology, processes and testing distinguish in particular the competence and core know-how of ITS Niedersachsen.  

Main activities:
As a network regrouping competencies, ITS Niedersachsen encourages its members to network among each other, arranges contacts and compiles task-specific project consortia. Emphasis is placed on maintaining and increasing the exchange of scientific know-how, implementing symposia and trainings, promoting the procurement and realisation of nationally- and European-funded projects in regional enterprises and on public relations for the strengthening and positioning of the region. ITS Niedersachsen runs national as well as international conferences in specific fields with over 1,000 participants per year and organises themed stands at international trade fairs with the involvement of its members. Furthermore, ITS Niedersachsen publishes its own proceedings and dissertations. Since 2008, ITS Niedersachsen is working, as German partner of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), towards releasing English text books in the USA. In addition to this, ITS Niedersachsen offers its corporate and institutional members, as well as third parties, the building of information material, internet presence and even marketing concepts. Since 2006, ITS Niedersachsen has been involved in encouraging young talent with activities and projects such as „Galileo goes to school“ for pupils and students.  

Technological emphases:
The work of ITS Niedersachsen is improving road safety and traffic efficiency and is minimising environmental influences of traffic. For this the network has capacious system competences in ground and air traffic at its disposal. For safety critical systems the added value reaches up to certification and licensure. Current emphases are put on the fields of driver assistance systems and automation systems, power train and energy management, car body, motion simulation, information systems for mobile applications, intelligent transport systems and applications for global satellite navigation systems like GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. One emphasis of the European satellite programme Galileo lies on the whole field of safety critical applications. Among this the “classical safety-of-life” applications in aviation and seafaring  are added up as well as novel safety critical applications like hazardous-cargo monitoring systems and commercial critical applications which will necessitate certification in the future. Under the name “GAUSS” ITS Niedersachsen nationally and internationally bundles the competences of its members about safety critical applications and their certification. In this connection the location of the GAUSS-cluster is not coincidental. At the research airport Braunschweig unique know-how for the seminal market of satellite navigation is positioned. Since several years the location in Niedersachsen takes a top position which is imposingly demonstrated by the worldwide first GPS based landing of an airplane. Against this background the Anwendungszentrum GAUSS is persecuting following objectives: 

• Active co-operation in the development of standards on European level with involvement of the members
• Taking a European top position in the licensure of end devices and services
• Development of a simulation and testing environment which is already venturous before the full operational availability of Galileo in co-operation with other partners
• Development and extension of a linked “innovative environment” which leads to a permanent expansion of the scientific-technical infrastructure.