Case Study - Citi Logik

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UK Traffic data business brings ground-breaking new approach to the Australian market

Country: Australia

A UK company that developed world-leading technology that is revolutionising traffic analysis has joined forces with leading Australian survey company Matrix Traffic and Transport Data to help improve the country’s transport networks.

Citi Logik was established seven years ago following a £25,000 (45,000 AUD) loan from a UK government innovation fund and has gone on to deliver a string of high-profile projects in the UK. These include an impact assessment for the 2012 Olympic Games and major surveys of the traffic systems surrounding Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London.

The company uses anonymised data from existing 3G/4G networks to map millions of journeys that are used in either real-time or historically to provide population movement insights. Citi Logik CEO Stephen Leece said: “We’re one of the few businesses in the world that can offer multi-modal journey analysis derived from mobile network data, it is high-quality enough to be used as supporting evidence for changes to any traffic and transportation system, and fully compliant with privacy laws.

“Previously, this data could only be collected by means such ,road-side cameras, detectors and people with clip-boards. Our solution not only delivers much more detailed data from a much larger sample size, much more quickly – in real-time if needed. It is also far more cost-effective.

“We can map journeys across multiple modes of transport, so we can see exactly how passengers are using the public transport network, where they have come from and where they end up and the routes they took to get there – something that has been almost impossible to achieve accurately until now.”

Innovation driving change

Tackling the issue of traffic congestion in built-up areas is high on the agenda for the Australian government, and encouraging walking, cycling and use of public transport is key to the strategy.

Stephen Leece continued: “Nine in every 10 Australians live in a handful of urban areas, with seven in 10 living in a major city, yet it remains an almost entirely car-based society. This has seen cities far exceed their capacity for movement by vehicle, making the system very frustrating for users, and ultimately creating a barrier to economic growth.

“Our technology lets everyone involved in planning new infrastructure – from government transport teams to engineering and design consultancies – understand exactly how current systems are used and what the impact of any changes will be. Only then can vital changes be made.”

Access to innovation

Citi Logik has participated in five trade missions organised by the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and it was during an event in Sydney in 2017 that conversations with Matrix started.

Marty Prowse, CEO of Matrix Traffic and Transport Data, said: “Citi Logik has created a brand-new and world-leading technology that is set to revolutionise the way traffic analysis is carried out, and adding this to our offer puts us in a very strong position.

Stephen Leece added: “DIT played a key part in letting us make this connection, and I can’t overstate its value as a way of accessing the best technology that the UK has to offer as one of the world’s leading centres for innovation.”

The firm’s success is another compelling example of how the UK brings innovation to life.

The UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) helps connect international buyers with UK goods and services to meet their needs, supports overseas companies to locate and grow in the UK, drives both inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade.