Jonas Vogt

• The advancement of cooperative, connected, and automated mobility (CCAM) is of paramount importance, and this objective can be achieved through the implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The objective of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is to establish a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation system through the integration of diverse traffic-related systems and communication technologies. In the past, vehicle systems, traffic infrastructure, and service providers operated independently. However, the advent of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) has necessitated that these systems interact and exchange data in order to support automated driving and connected mobility. The challenges to ITS interoperability can be broadly categorized as follows: heterogeneity in communication protocols; lack of standardization; security and privacy concerns; data quality issues; and the high costs associated with achieving interoperability. Notwithstanding these challenges, a number of initiatives are currently underway with the objective of standardizing safety-related traffic information (SRTI) in Europe. Connected driving is not only vital for individual and community safety but also aligns with broader initiatives such as the European ”Vision Zero,” which aims to eliminate road deaths by 2050, and the European Green Deal, which seeks to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent. The potential for connected mobility to facilitate more efficient resource usage and reduce the necessity for personal vehicle ownership could result in a notable reduction in \(CO_2\) emissions. This is consistent with the European Union’s comprehensive strategy to decarbonize the transportation sector, which includes a mandate for all new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles to have zero \(CO_2\) emissions by 2035. The realization of the ambitious objectives set forth for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) hinges on the collaborative engagement of all stakeholders within the mobility sector. Nevertheless, several factors impede advancement, including the heterogeneity of communication protocols, data formats, and software architectures utilized in ITS. The absence of standardization results in complications with regard to seamless communication and data exchange between disparate systems. Furthermore, concerns pertaining to security and privacy emerge from the heterogeneous mechanisms and standards employed across diverse applications, rendering the implementation of consistent regulatory frameworks and the safeguarding against data breaches and cyberattacks a challenging endeavor. In light of these challenges, the thesis introduces the ITS-PIE (Intelligent Transportation System Protocol Interoperability Evaluation), a multi-step process designed to analyze protocol specifications for interoperability. To facilitate interoperability, the thesis proposes the creation of a catalog of criteria for the extraction of pertinent parameters from specifications, with a particular emphasis on the assurance of data accuracy, format consistency, and security. The process entails the collection of meta-information regarding the specifications, the examination of cited references for the purpose of situating them within a broader context of ITS, the comparison of formal data and protocol specifications, the potential for divergent usage of terminology across specifications, the analysis of data elements, and the evaluation of the architectural frameworks within which these protocols operate. By following this structured approach, stakeholders can gain a more nuanced understanding of the discrepancies between system architectures and work towards harmonizing them. To support this approach, the evaluation of LLMs is conducted to ascertain their potential contribution to the application of ITS-PIE. In conclusion, while the challenges to ITS interoperability are significant, the analysis presented in the thesis underscores the importance of continued efforts to standardize protocols and ensure reliable data exchange. Achieving interoperability is essential for realizing the full potential of ITS, including the goals of zero road deaths, optimized traffic flow, and improved environmental outcomes. Despite the difficulties posed by the diverse and fragmented nature of ITS ecosystems, a solution-specific approach, informed by thorough analysis and evaluation, is necessary to overcome these barriers and advance the future of transportation. As a result, this dissertation presents methods and tools that serve to identify inconsistent assumptions in the interaction of multiple standards.