ITS Now announce the winners in the 2026 @ITSNow Innovation Awards
ITS Now are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s ITS Now Innovation Awards, which were judged at the 2026 Traffex Exhibition.
The 2026 @ITSNow Innovation Awards arrive at a moment when the mobility sector is shifting faster than ever, and that sense of momentum is exactly what this year’s award sets out to celebrate. Born from ITS Now’s mission to make complex engineering accessible, engaging and genuinely useful to the people shaping the future of transport, the awards shine a spotlight on the ideas, technologies and teams pushing boundaries across the UK and beyond.
They recognise not just polished products, but the ingenuity, collaboration and problem‑solving that sit behind real-world progress. As the sector builds towards the UK-hosted ITS World Congress in Birmingham in 2027, the 2026 awards feel especially significant with an opportunity to showcase the creativity, capability and confidence of a community stepping onto the global stage. With entries drawn from exhibitors at the 2026 Traffex Exhibition and Conference, the @ITSNow Innovation Awards celebrate the people who refuse to accept that transport must work the way it always has, and instead demonstrate how it can work when imagination meets engineering.
This is a celebration of the ingenuity, engineering excellence and practical problem-solving that define the best of our sector. Building on the legacy of previous years, the 2026 awards once again recognised innovations that deliver real-world impact, support the evolving needs of road users and demonstrate clear technical advancement.
Below are this year’s winners:
First Prize — AGD Systems: AGD646 AI & Edge-Processing NMU Detector
AGD Systems takes the top spot in 2026 with the AGD646, a next-generation detector that blends AI, long-range infrared illumination and edge processing to deliver highly accurate detection and classification of non-motorised users (NMUs). This includes pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and those pushing prams or buggies, a group whose safety and priority are now central to UK transport policy.
The AGD646 is designed specifically for kerbside detection, identifying users in waiting areas and enabling adaptive pedestrian signal strategies that reduce waiting times and improve safety. Its ability to distinguish between different NMU types provides a powerful new building block for modern traffic control systems, especially as the hierarchy of road users continues to shift toward active travel.
The product’s engineering credentials are strong: a high-quality image sensor, long-range IR illumination, an AI engine trained for kerbside environments and compliance with TOPAS 2507B. But its real significance lies in what it enables, a more responsive, inclusive and intelligent approach to pedestrian and cyclist crossings.
More details: https://agd-systems.com/products/agd646/
Second Prize — Yunex Traffic: Plus+ Advantage
The second prize goes to Yunex Traffic for the Plus+ Advantage, an elegant and genuinely lateral piece of engineering thinking. The innovation lies not in a single component but in the re-imagining of how traffic signals can be provided during refurbishment or upgrade works.
Traditionally, temporary signals require separate wireless or battery-powered units, complex cabling and often compromise UTC connectivity. Plus+ Advantage flips this model by using the permanent Plus+ system (with its distributed intelligence and minimal cabling), from the very start of the works programme. Signals are installed in temporary positions using the same power and data ring architecture, then moved to their permanent locations as civils work progresses.
The result is a solution that eliminates the need for third-party temporary signals and maintains SCOOT® or MOVA connectivity throughout, so it doesn’t suffer operational degradation, whilst also reducing cost, complexity and disruption.
It’s a smart, efficient and operationally resilient approach that demonstrates how rethinking established practices can unlock major benefits.
Third Prize — SafeSite Companion
The third prize is awarded to SafeSite Companion, a digital tool designed to support operatives deploying traffic management (from cones and signs to portable signals), on roadworks sites. What sets this innovation apart is its focus on consistency, compliance and frontline usability.
SafeSite Companion provides operatives with a reliable, always-available source of guidance that aligns with statutory requirements and industry good practice. In a field where mistakes can have serious safety implications, this kind of accessible, standardised support is invaluable.
The product also impressed during the National Highways and Connected Places Catapult Launchpad presentations at the TechTalks Theatre, where it took the top spot, judged by Darren Capes and myself. Its combination of practicality, clarity and compliance makes it a worthy addition to the 2026 winners’ list.
More information: https://safesitecompanion.co.uk/
Congratulations again to our winners of the 2026 @ITSNow Innovation Award – AGD for the AGD646 AI & Edge Processing NMU Detector!
To find out more, watch the 2026 ITSNow Innovation Award episode of the @ITSNow YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/2gu2bn0Bgqk
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