Monotch’s Vision for Connected Mobility: Transforming Mobility Services and Traffic Management for the Future

In this exciting episode of the 4NewMobility Leadership Talk, I had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Menno Malta, the founder and CEO of Monotch, to discuss his vision for the future of connected mobility. Monotch, a pioneering company based in the Netherlands, has become a global leader in the development of data exchange platforms that enhance communication between infrastructure and vehicles, aiming to make traffic safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly.

From the outset, Menno’s passion for transforming mobility services was evident, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to explore how Monotch is shaping the future of traffic management and mobility. Our conversation delved into the status of connected mobility today, the crucial role of data sharing, and the next steps needed to scale solutions for maximum impact.

Key Insights from Menno Malta on the Status and Future of Data Sharing & Service Creation

1. Monotch’s Core Mission: “Making Traffic Talk” – The TLEX platform (Traffic Live Exchange) enables real-time data exchange between road infrastructure, vehicles, and traffic management systems.

2. The Role of a Multi-Stakeholder Ecosystem – Success in connected mobility depends on collaboration between road authorities, vehicle manufacturers, ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) suppliers, researchers, and consultants.

3. Breaking Down Data Silos for Scalable Solutions – By integrating data from multiple sources, Monotch ensures real-time, high-quality information that benefits road users, emergency services, and traffic authorities alike.

4. The Importance of Standardization & Interoperability – Europe still faces challenges in harmonizing standards across countries, but Monotch is pushing for open, scalable solutions.

5. Scaling to Global Markets – Monotch is already expanding into the U.S. and other international markets, leveraging its flexible and cloud-based platform.

6. Preparing for the Autonomous Future – While full automation is still on the horizon, AI-driven traffic management and decision-making are already transforming how cities operate.

7. The Need for Mandated Large-Scale Deployments – Menno called on the European Commission to mandate key use cases such as roadwork warnings, emergency vehicle approaching alerts, and dynamic traffic prioritization to accelerate adoption. These mandates have to be technology agnostic.

In-Depth Discussion of Key Themes

1. A Connected Mobility Ecosystem: The Core of Monotch’s Vision

Monotch envisions a world where road infrastructure, vehicles, and traffic management systems communicate seamlessly. The company’s TLEX platform acts as a crucial data-sharing layer, enabling real-time interactions between traffic lights, road sensors, vehicles, and digital twins used by traffic control centers. By ensuring interoperability between different systems, Monotch creates a truly connected mobility ecosystem that improves safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

2. Why Breaking Data Silos Matters

One of the most significant barriers to connected mobility is the fragmentation of data. Different stakeholders—ranging from municipalities and road authorities to car manufacturers and app developers—often work in isolated environments. Menno emphasized how Monotch’s platform bridges these gaps by making data accessible and actionable across multiple use cases.

A compelling example of this is the integration of ambulance data in the Netherlands. By connecting emergency vehicle systems to TLEX, Monotch enables real-time warnings for drivers and allows traffic lights to adjust dynamically, improving response times while enhancing safety for all road users. Furthermore, this same data can be repurposed for new applications, such as adjusting smart street lighting at night to improve visibility for emergency responders.

3. The Challenge of Standardization & Interoperability

While Monotch’s platform is designed for scalability, Menno pointed out that one of the biggest challenges in Europe is the lack of standardization across countries. Each nation has developed its own protocols for traffic light communication and ITS interfaces, making large-scale deployments more complex.

To address this, Monotch has worked closely with industry partners to establish the C-ITS standard interface, now governed by Dutch and Belgian authorities. However, broader regulatory alignment across Europe is still needed to facilitate seamless deployments.

4. The Global Expansion of Connected Mobility

While Monotch is deeply rooted in Europe, the company has ambitious global expansion plans, particularly in the U.S. By 2025, Monotch expects to have its first deployments in North America, leveraging the strong demand for connected infrastructure solutions.

Unlike in Asia, where Monotch has not yet proactively entered the market, the U.S. presents a clear opportunity due to its growing focus on smart mobility and intelligent transportation solutions. With flexible deployment models that work on both Azure and Amazon cloud environments—as well as private on-premise installations—Monotch is well-positioned for international growth.

5. The Impact of AI & Automation on Traffic Management

Menno sees artificial intelligence as a game-changer in traffic management, particularly in three key areas:

• Enhanced Security & Quality Control – Monotch currently processes over two billion messages every day. AI-driven anomaly detection will play a crucial role in ensuring data integrity and preventing cyber threats.

• Generating Synthetic Data for Improved Coverage – Even with growing adoption, not all vehicles are connected today. AI can help fill data gaps by generating synthetic traffic patterns, improving the accuracy of predictive models.

• Real-Time Decision-Making for Road Authorities – AI-powered traffic management can optimize road conditions dynamically, allowing authorities to deploy intelligent traffic flow policies instantly.

While fully autonomous driving remains a longer-term vision, AI-powered traffic systems are already revolutionizing how cities manage congestion, road safety, and environmental impact.

6. The Need for Large-Scale Mandates from the European Commission

One of Menno’s most pressing recommendations was for the European Commission to mandate the large-scale deployment of key use cases rather than continuously funding pilot projects. These mandates have to be technology agnostic.

Specifically, he suggested:

1. Roadworks Warnings – Ensuring that all vehicles receive timely alerts about roadworks to enhance safety.

2. Emergency Vehicle Approaching Alerts – Providing real-time notifications to road users when emergency vehicles are nearby.

3. Traffic Prioritization & Preemption – Implementing dynamic traffic light control to improve efficiency for public transport, freight, and emergency vehicles.

Rather than testing these solutions repeatedly through isolated pilot programs, Menno argued that Europe should focus on scaling proven use cases to maximize impact. By providing regulatory mandates for deployment, the EU could accelerate adoption and unlock significant safety and efficiency benefits.

Call to Action: Making Data Exchange a Reality for the Future of Mobility

This conversation with Menno Malta underscored a critical truth: Connected mobility is no longer a vision for the distant future—it is happening now. However, for it to reach its full potential, we must break down silos, enhance interoperability, and scale real-world deployments.

As industry leaders, policymakers, and mobility stakeholders, we must take decisive action:

-> Push for standardized, scalable solutions that work across borders.

-> Invest in AI-driven data management to improve traffic safety and efficiency.

-> Advocate for mandated large-scale deployments of proven use cases.

The insights shared by Menno and the work being done at Monotch provide a clear roadmap for the future. Now, it’s up to us to turn these innovations into widespread reality—not in ten years, but today.

Let’s make connected mobility the new standard.