Transportation & Design

The demand for commercial vehicles will reach $1,147.03 billion by 2029 thanks to digitalization, connectivity, and telematics, which will increase the market, especially that of self-driving vehicles. Designed to function even in critical conditions, the latter is equipped with technologies capable of guaranteeing safety, efficiency, and a reduction of labor costs.

The American Trucking Association reports that, in addition to safety, the shortage of truck drivers will be what determines the success of automation based on artificial intelligence to guarantee better working conditions for drivers.

Regarding safety, European Regulation 2019/2144 provides for the application of ADAS systems on all vehicles by 2024.

Artificial intelligence, in fact, is capable of monitoring both the driver and the surrounding conditions, allowing action in real time to avoid accidents. Electronic and control systems make driving simpler and more comfortable, also based on the elimination of mechanical levers present in many vehicles used especially in construction and agriculture. Furthermore, there are many possibilities offered by connectivity, from control of work parameters to fuel consumption, geolocation, and even "driving style."

Logistics will be the sector in which automation will find the greatest application, as this market will reach $930.2 billion by 2030, as a result of the increase in e-commerce. In the future, the use of drones is hypothesized, increasingly appreciated for their versatility, greater safety, sustainability, and reduction of costs and delivery times. At the end of 2024, Italy will be the first European country to experiment with Amazon's Prime Air service to deliver packages up to 2.26 kg to the customer's home.

In the agricultural sector, the tractor market will increase thanks to the role played by the IoT in developing autonomous vehicles capable of improving agricultural productivity. Sensors capable of recovering information and providing an accurate analysis of climatic and soil conditions will guarantee pest management and the efficient use of water and fertilizers.

At ConExpo in Las Vegas 2023, the latest digital technologies were presented to allow construction workers to work remotely in a comfortable "virtual cabin" with fewer safety risks on construction sites. Tests on green heavy construction vehicles in Sweden showed a 98% drop in emissions, a 70% reduction in energy costs, and a 40% reduction in operator costs.

Strong growth is also expected in the market of work machines in the sports sector such as ice scrapers or snow blowers, especially in Europe. The latter will reach $35 billion by 2028, while the global resurfacer market will reach $114.20 million by the end of 2030.

High technology will also positively influence sustainability. In the overlap between technology, sustainability, comfort, beauty, and safety, new challenges and unprecedented business opportunities open up for design.