Consat Telematics strengthens its Australian presence and expands across Asia-Pacific
A growing Australian operation, backed by Swedish technology and increasingly active across New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
Consat Telematics (CT) is a Swedish technology company providing Intelligent Transport Systems for public transport. From operations and fleet management to driver support, real-time passenger information and onboard systems, Consat’s technology helps operators and transport authorities manage increasingly complex transport networks.
Australia has become an important market for CT, with the company continuing to grow both its customer base and local capabilities.
Today, CT supports a wide range of bus operations across the country, including metropolitan contract services, regional networks and airport bus operations. The scale and operating environments vary considerably, from smaller fleets to large networks involving more than 3,000 buses.
That diversity is an important part of the Australian business. Every operation has different priorities, contractual requirements and ways of working, meaning CT’s role goes well beyond simply deploying technology.
With a local team of around 12 people across Sydney and Melbourne, CT combines project delivery, technical expertise, customer support and commercial activities close to its customers. The objective is to understand how the technology is actually being used by control rooms, drivers and operational teams, and to continue adapting the solution as customer needs evolve.
Technology supporting real operations
Public transport operations are changing quickly. Fleet electrification, increasing passenger expectations, new contractual requirements and the growing availability of operational data are all changing the way transport networks are managed.
For CT, implementing a system is therefore only the beginning. Long-term collaboration with customers is essential to ensure the technology continues to provide value as their operations develop.
This operational focus is also something CT sees across its international markets. During a recent visit to London, Consat Telematics Australia Managing Director and Head of Market Unit, Lachlan Mackay, met with colleagues from CT’s different market units and visited Go-Ahead London’s network, one of the largest and most complex bus environments in Europe.
Lachlan Mackay with colleagues from Consat Telematics HQ and international market units during a visit to Go-Ahead London’s Stockwell Operations Control Centre.
| “Technology alone doesn’t run a great bus network — it has to help controllers and operators make better decisions when conditions change minute by minute.”
— Lachlan Mackay, Managing Director & Head of Market Unit, Consat Telematics Australia |
It is an approach that increasingly shapes the way Consat Telematics works with its customers: technology needs to support people and operational processes, rather than sit alongside them.
Australian presence, global capability
While CT has built a strong local presence, the Australian business remains closely connected to the wider Consat Group.
The company’s headquarters and core development teams are based in Gothenburg, Sweden, with market units operating across several parts of the world.
Closer collaboration between these teams is becoming increasingly important as CT continues to grow across different markets. Experiences from Australia can be shared with other regions, while lessons from major transport operations in Europe, North America and elsewhere can help inform local approaches and future product development.
Regular exchanges between the market units provide an opportunity to compare customer needs, operational challenges and different ways of using the CT platform. For a technology company operating across very different public transport environments, creating more opportunities for its teams to exchange experience and learn from different markets will be an important part of CT’s continued development.
Looking beyond Australia
At the same time, CT is seeing increasingly tangible opportunities across the wider Asia-Pacific region.
New Zealand is a natural extension of the Australian market, while Southeast Asia presents a very different but significant opportunity. Across the region, cities are investing in new bus and BRT networks, fleet electrification, operations control centres and improved passenger information.
CT wants to play a role in that development, but the approach is deliberately local. Over recent months, the Australian team has invested significant time travelling across the region, meeting transport authorities, operators and industry stakeholders, identifying potential local partners and understanding the requirements of individual markets.
Business Sweden has been an important part of that journey. Through its teams and local networks in each market, Business Sweden has supported CT with market knowledge, introductions to key stakeholders and a better understanding of the local business and transport environment. This support is particularly valuable in markets where relationships, delivery models and customer expectations can differ significantly from those in Australia or Europe.
Recent activity in Indonesia and the Philippines illustrates that local approach in practice. In both markets, the priority has been to spend time on the ground, understand how public transport is developing and build relationships with the organisations that will ultimately shape delivery.
Indonesia
In Jakarta, CT has been engaging with Business Sweden, ITS Indonesia and other local stakeholders to betterunderstand transport priorities, partnership models and where CT’s technology can add value. These discussions are helping the team build a clearer view of the market before deciding how best to approach future opportunities.
Consat Telematics APAC meeting with Business Sweden and ITS Indonesia in Jakarta.
Philippines
In the Philippines, Consat Telematics has also been meeting directly with national transport stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation (DOTr), while working closely with Sweden’s local trade and diplomatic network. The aim is the same: understand the market first, develop the right local relationships and ensure any future solution reflects the operational and delivery realities of the country.
Consat Telematics meeting the Philippines Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with Anna Ferry, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines, and Johan Lennefalk, Trade Commissioner of Sweden to the Philippines and Clement Hamart, Consat Telematics Customer Success Director APAC.
Building on this support, CT is continuing to develop direct relationships with transport authorities, operators and potential local partners across New Zealand and Southeast Asia.
The requirements in these markets can be very different from what CT sees in Australia or Europe. Understanding those differences early, and finding the right local organisations to work with, is critical.
That work is already leading to concrete discussions and opportunities, providing a strong base for the next phase of CT’s development in the region.
Looking ahead
CT’s growth across Asia-Pacific will continue to rely on strong local partnerships, close collaboration across the Group and the wider Swedish business community. As transport systems become more connected, efficient and sustainable, combining Swedish expertise with strong local market understanding will be increasingly important.
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