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Pirelli and Univrses team to use AI tech for road monitoring
Pirelli is acquiring a 30 per cent stake in the deep tech company and integrating Univrses 3DAI computer vision tech into its Cyber Tyre system solutions.
At a glance
Who: Pirelli; Univrses.
What: Pirelli will acquire a 30 per cent stake in Univrses and integrate the 3DAI artificial intelligence (AI) computer vision technologies into its Cyber Tyre system solutions.
Why: To strengthen solutions for road network monitoring and autonomous driving.
When: The two companies are already combining their tech for a road monitoring project in Puglia, Italy.
The global tyre brand Pirelli has signed a partnership with Stockholm-based deep tech company Univrses to strengthen solutions for road network monitoring and autonomous driving.
Under the agreement, Pirelli will acquire a 30 per cent stake in Univrses (with the option to reach a majority stake) and integrate Univrses’ 3DAI artificial intelligence (AI) computer vision technologies into its Cyber Tyre system solutions.
Actionable data for road management use cases
The combination of the technologies developed by Univrses and Pirelli aims to deliver vehicles that are safer and more performant, with potential applications in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems, and will also deliver timely, relevant and actionable data for a range of road management use cases. Insights will enable road authorities to make better decisions and deploy resources more effectively, potentially reducing road-related accidents and saving lives.
The technologies permit use of onboard cameras and tyres to collect data that provide vital feedback on road conditions. In particular, Pirelli Cyber Tyre, which is the world’s first integrated hardware and software system capable of collecting data from sensors inside the tyres, process the information collected using Pirelli’s proprietary software and algorithms, and communicate in real-time with the vehicle’s electronics and the cloud, enhancing cars’ safety systems and permitting monitoring of road infrastructures’ status.
“Continuous monitoring and data are becoming the new foundation for infrastructure asset management, and Univrses technology is able to provide powerful analytical capabilities based on reliable and frequently updated data”
Univrses’ technology, originally developed to give cars the ability to make sense of their surroundings, has been adapted to turn vehicles into AI-enabled road monitoring agents. The Swedish company has developed 3DAI Engine – software that gives autonomous vehicles perception capability (3D Positioning, 3D Mapping, Spatial Deep Learning) – and 3DAITM – an AI-powered system that digitises city and roadside infrastructure, fed by the data from sensors, such as cameras, installed on vehicles.
In 2025, Pirelli launched a road monitoring project in the Puglia region, Italy, using Cyber Tyre plus Univrses technology to monitor the regional road network to create an up-to-date map of infrastructure conditions. The system provides analyses based on data collected by tyres and processed through the Cyber Tyre platform, together with visual data collected via cameras and interpreted using Univrses technology.
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“The agreement with Univrses further enhances our Cyber Tyre platform, thanks to advanced AI‑based artificial vision technologies,” said Pirelli chief executive officer, Andrea Casaluci. “The collaboration between Pirelli and Univrses will make a significant contribution to the ongoing transformation of cars into true software‑defined vehicles.”
Univrses CEO, Jonathan Selbie, added: “Continuous monitoring and data are becoming the new foundation for infrastructure asset management, and Univrses technology is able to provide powerful analytical capabilities based on reliable and frequently updated data. In this context, we are pleased to welcome Pirelli as an investor and to take our partnership to the next level: we will join forces to deliver increasingly advanced services and products.”
Over the past seven years, Univrses has worked with leading vehicle manufacturers to develop advanced AD/ADAS functionality, with its software already integrated into flagship models from several global brands. By adapting this core technology for road assessment, the company now supports authorities at all levels across Europe – including Sweden’s Trafikverket and National Highways in England – to deliver high-fidelity infrastructure intelligence.
“The collaboration between Pirelli and Univrses will make a significant contribution to the ongoing transformation of cars into true software‑defined vehicles”
The technology provides authorities with continuous, scalable road monitoring that shifts asset management from reactive to proactive and, in doing so, greatly reduces costs and CO₂ emissions, while improving public safety. Such insights give local governments and road authorities real-time visibility into networks – helping them plan maintenance, allocate resources, and respond to issues more effectively.
Univrses transforms raw sensor data from cameras integrated into regular vehicles into actionable insights on road conditions, traffic signs, street lighting, roadworks, and other public assets. In the Netherlands, Univrses has recently joined the Road Monitor (Romo) project, a landmark initiative for European road management which includes Dutch government ministries and agencies, a number of automotive suppliers, including Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, and the EU. Romo converts anonymised vehicle data into valuable insights for road authorities, improving key functions such as asset and weather management, plus road safety.
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