Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Project

ANYMOS

The Second Funding Phase

The second funding phase (January 2026 to December 2028) of ANYMOS focuses on the impact of the planned regulatory obligation to provide mobility data. This obligation primarily relates to data on transport infrastructure (static) and on the operation of mobility services (dynamic). However, these data are often difficult to distinguish from information about users’ behavior and preferences (individual), which frequently creates a link to specific individuals. The consortium partners are developing technical solutions to balance the open provision of mobility data with the requirements of providers of innovative, data-driven mobility solutions.

 

The First Funding Phase

During the first funding phase of the ANYMOS research cluster (November 2022 to December 2025), the focus was on procedures for anonymizing personally identifiable information at the intersection of autonomous driving, connected infrastructure and public transport. The highly connected systems within the mobility ecosystem create a risk of profiling through the generation of movement patterns and the use of location-based services. The objective was therefore to develop and establish a process model within ANYMOS that enables companies to identify anonymization requirements and appropriate approaches for mobility-related use cases, select anonymization methods in line with the current state of research and technology, implement them effectively, and systematically identify and assess re-identification risks.

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The research cluster Anonymization for Connected Mobility Systems (ANYMOS) aims to research how anonymization techniques can effectively be deployed in highly connected mobility systems and the large-scale data collection and processing activities they require. The focus lies on understanding the types of information generated by connected mobility systems, the interactions between these information sources, the personal data they may contain, and the impact of anonymization techniques on them. A holistic perspective on connected mobility systems is essential due to the significant risk of identifying individuals and deriving detailed profiles from location-related data, particularly in the context of individual mobility. Even when image data from a traffic camera, for example, is anonymized using state-of-the-art methods and reduced to trajectory data, it may still be possible to attribute those trajectories to specific individuals if sufficiently detailed movement data are available from other sources, such as navigation systems, vehicle diagnostics, or location-based smartphones services. Research activities within the research cluster are therefore focused on use cases from autonomous driving and connected infrastructure, as well as public transport.

The research cluster ANYMOS pursues the long-term goal of establishing anonymization as an enabling technology for data-driven mobility services. By reducing uncertainty regarding the applicability of data protection regulations to the sharing and use of data, the cluster aims to facilitate innovation while helping to maintain Germany's strong position in the automotive and public transport sectors. To support this objective, ANYMOS develops and establishes a process model that enables companies to identify anonymization requirements and options for mobility-related use cases, select appropriate anonymization methods in line with the current state of research and technology, implement these methods effectively, and systematically identify and assess re-identification risks.

Fraunhofer ISI leads the work package focusing on data value chains and business models. Building on use cases from the automotive and public transport sectors, data flows are mapped and modeled through data value chains to assess the utility value of mobility data under different anonymization approaches.

A second key research area concerns the development of digital business models for the increasingly data-driven mobility sector. The research integrates the concepts of anonymization, data utility value, and data value chains to identify opportunities for creating sustainable and economically viable business models. The object is to develop and evaluate business model concepts that support the effective and responsible use of mobility data while generating value for stakeholders across the mobility ecosystem.

 

Duration

Funding phase 2: 01/2026 bis 12/2028

Funding phase 1: 11/2022 bis 12/2025

Funding Body

Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)

Funding phase 1 (additionally): Funded by the European Union, NextGenerationEU

Partners

  • FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik, Karlsruhe (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • Karlsruher Institut für Technologie – KASTEL (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • Karlsruher Institut für Technologie – TRIANGEL (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • Fraunhofer-Institut für Optronik, Systemtechnik und Bildauswertung IOSB, Karlsruhe (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • AVL Deutschland GmbH, Mainz (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • INIT GmbH, Karlsruhe (Förderphase 1 & 2)
  • Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund GmbH (Förderphase 1)
  • iris-GmbH infrared & intelligent sensors, Berlin (Förderphase 1)
  • raumobil GmbH (Förderphase 2)
  • Universität Ulm (Förderphase 2)