Neptis S.A., a key player in the field of vehicle monitoring based in Poland’s Wielkopolska region, has developed a tool that analyses not only a driver’s own behaviour and characteristics, but also how that behaviour is influenced by external factors such as weather conditions and road quality. Thanks to this innovation, the company has increased its revenue and asserted itself on the global market.
- 30 January 2020
Within the project we used the latest technology to develop advanced algorithms that characterise an individual driver’s driving style. As a result, we created an innovative tool that encourages safe road behaviour, while at the same time reinforcing Neptis’ position on the Polish market.
The cutting-edge driver profile technology appeals to a wide range of users, such as companies from the automotive, logistics and transport industries, as well as insurance companies who offer telemetric insurance. In addition, research carried out as part of the project, on road quality and accident frequency, has been used to enhance another Neptis product, the popular traffic app Yanosik, which about 1.5 million Polish drivers use every month.
Making safer driving even more attractive
While road safety in Poland has improved considerably in the last 10 years, road fatalities are still higher than the EU average, and both the public and private sector are tackling the problem.
Thanks to the dynamic nature of the algorithm used to generate the driver profile, individual factors can be analysed separately. This lets the system make a distinction between a driver’s typical behaviour and anomalies due to external factors like weather conditions or road quality.
By using Neptis’ technology, insurance companies can accurately assess the insurance risk for a specific client and offer a tailored premium – the safer the profile, the lower the premium. A survey by the Polish Insurance Association found that up to 59 % of Polish drivers opt for the cheapest insurance offer. Lower insurance costs are therefore a strong incentive to motorists to drive more safely and responsibly.
Other uses for the technology developed as part of the project involve gamifying the ‘safe driving’ message and giving prizes to people who consistently respect the rules of the road. An example of this is the ‘Slow down near schools’ initiative, where participants received prizes for driving at the speed limit near schools.
Honing employee skills and increasing competitiveness
Funding from the European Regional Development Fund allowed Neptis to strengthen its research and development team. In doing so, the company was able to build the expertise needed to deliver this innovative product that is the first of its kind and that meets a market demand. As a result, the project has reinforced and expanded employees’ knowledge and skills, and secured local jobs in the high-tech sector.
The solutions created as part of the project, which are based partly on big data analysis, attracted considerable international interest. This has led to cooperation with new business partners who are interested in the expertise developed and in the data collected.
Overall, the project has contributed to improving Neptis’ competitive position, increased its revenues and helped the company establish itself as a leader in its field.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Driver’s profile” is EUR 1 089 084, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 484 535 through the “ROP 15 Regional Operational Programme for Wielkopolskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research, technological development, and innovation”.