German transport IT company building journey planning software, MaaS platforms, and rail signalling solutions across the Shift2Rail programme.
HACON is a German software company specializing in travel information systems, journey planning, and multimodal transport solutions. They develop software platforms for real-time passenger information, door-to-door trip planning, and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) applications used by transit operators and transport authorities across Europe. Within H2020, they contribute IT architecture for interoperable travel ecosystems, advanced railway signalling systems, and data-driven urban mobility solutions. Their work bridges the gap between railway infrastructure modernization (Shift2Rail) and passenger-facing digital travel services.
Core contributor across IT2RAIL, Co-Active, ATTRACkTIVE, MyCorridor, COHESIVE, CONNECTIVE, ExtenSive, and SCALE-UP — all focused on integrated travel services and passenger information.
Sustained participation across the full X2Rail series (X2Rail-1 through X2Rail-5) plus IN2RAIL, covering moving block, automatic train operation, and on-board train integrity.
MyCorridor, MaaSive, and ExtenSive all address MaaS ecosystem development and SaaS delivery models for transport services.
CONNECTIVE focused on business analytics and semantic interoperability; IMPACT-2 on KPIs and socio-economic indicators; IT2RAIL on semantic web and big data for travel.
PLASA-2, X2Rail-3, and X2Rail-5 all feature zero on-site testing, virtual certification, and mixed virtual-experimental approaches.
SCALE-UP addresses data-driven solutions for connected urban poles with behavioural change and clean mobility; BOOSTLOG covers zero-emissions logistics.
In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), HACON concentrated on passenger-facing digital travel services — seamless journey planning, travel companions, interoperability standards, and co-modal re-accommodation. Their keyword landscape was dominated by semantic web, big data, and travel shopping concepts. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward railway infrastructure modernization: moving block signalling, cybersecurity, virtual certification, zero on-site testing, and prototyping/demonstrators became dominant themes, reflecting deeper integration into the Shift2Rail technical programme.
HACON is moving from pure software/IT for passengers toward deeper technical involvement in railway system modernization, suggesting future collaborations should consider them for both digital mobility platforms and rail infrastructure digitalization.
HACON operates almost exclusively as a consortium partner (18 of 20 projects), with only one coordinator role (ATTRACkTIVE). They are comfortable in large Shift2Rail consortia as well as smaller innovation actions, functioning as a reliable technology contributor rather than a project leader. With 199 unique partners across 19 countries, they maintain a broad European network, suggesting they are a well-connected, easy-to-integrate partner valued for specific technical deliverables rather than project management.
HACON has collaborated with 199 distinct partners across 19 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected transport IT companies in the Shift2Rail ecosystem. Their network spans the full European railway and mobility landscape, from major rail operators to academic institutions and technology providers.
HACON occupies a rare dual position in EU transport R&D: they combine deep expertise in passenger-facing journey planning software with hands-on involvement in back-end railway signalling modernization. Most organizations specialize in one or the other — HACON bridges both, making them uniquely valuable for projects that need to connect infrastructure upgrades with user-facing digital services. Their consistent presence across the entire X2Rail series (1 through 5) demonstrates they are a trusted, long-term technology partner in the Shift2Rail programme.
