Artificial Intelligence-driven Intelligent Transportation Systems applications as innovations in road freight transport enterprises

The paper presents research results on the current state of deployment of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications as innovative technological solutions within road freight transport companies that could be modified through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Eighteen ITS applications were proposed and examined for significant potential changes in their use resulting from AI implementation. During the empirical procedure, a quantitative study was undertaken using the survey research method on a sample of 152 road freight transport companies operating within three voivodships in the southern territory of Poland. The study addressed the recognition of motivations and capabilities of these enterprises in implementing innovations. It further examined the extent of the surveyed companies’ engagement in the implementation of selected innovative technological solutions, the utilised ITS applications that may be subject to modification as a result of AI integration, and the relationships between the use of modifiable ITS applications and the organisations’ capacity for innovation. The findings indicate that in these transport enterprises, most cases of advancement in the implementation of ITS technologies, potentially subject to modification through the application of AI, can be classified as either initial or preparatory. The research results also reveal a pronounced diversification of advancement among these ITS application deployments. The study offers a theoretical contribution by proposing an original conceptual framework that enables a systematic depiction of AI-enhanced ITS as drivers of technological innovation in freight transport enterprises.