TOMTOM GLOBAL CONTENT BV

Their core work

TomTom Global Content BV (formerly Tele Atlas) is the map data and content division of TomTom, one of Europe's leading navigation and location technology companies. They specialize in creating, maintaining, and enriching high-definition digital maps used for navigation, autonomous driving, and geospatial analysis. In H2020 projects, they contribute map data infrastructure, lane-level positioning, computer vision for road analysis, and large-scale geospatial monitoring capabilities to transport and earth observation initiatives.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

TomTom's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from vehicle-centric to planet-scale geospatial intelligence. From 2016 to 2019, their projects clustered tightly around autonomous driving and ADAS — driver impairment detection, lane-level navigation, vision-based assistance, and IoT-connected vehicles. Their most recent project, GEM (2020-2023), pivots sharply toward continuous earth monitoring and change detection, signaling that TomTom is applying its map-making and spatial analysis capabilities far beyond roads and vehicles.

TomTom is expanding its geospatial data expertise from road-level mapping toward planetary-scale environmental monitoring, making them relevant for future projects at the intersection of mobility, remote sensing, and climate.

How they like to work

TomTom consistently joins as a participant, never leading projects — they position themselves as the specialist who brings map data, geospatial infrastructure, and spatial analytics to research consortia. With 103 unique partners across 18 countries from just 6 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia and rarely repeat partnerships. This makes them an accessible and well-networked partner who is accustomed to integrating into complex multi-partner setups.

With 103 unique consortium partners across 18 countries from only 6 projects, TomTom has an exceptionally broad network — averaging over 17 partners per project. Their reach spans most of Western and Central Europe, reflecting the pan-European nature of transport and earth observation research.

What sets them apart

TomTom brings something few research partners can: production-grade, continuously updated, global-scale map and geospatial data combined with the engineering capacity to process it. Unlike academic partners who prototype geospatial tools, TomTom operates real-world map infrastructure used by millions of drivers daily. For any consortium needing HD maps, spatial data pipelines, or large-scale geographic analysis, they are one of the few industry partners who can deliver at commercial scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ADASANDME
  Addressed the underexplored area of driver impairment (drowsiness, stress, inattention) with adaptive HMI — directly relevant to road safety policy and insurance sectors.
• GEM
  Marks TomTom's strategic pivot into earth observation and environmental monitoring, applying their geospatial expertise to continuous global change detection.
• AUTOPILOT
  Combined IoT infrastructure with automated driving at scale, representing the convergence of TomTom's mapping strengths with connected vehicle ecosystems.