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Respected ITS industry leader Dr Paul Higgins has been announced as the recipient of ITS Australia’s highest honour, the Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr Higgins, whose career in intelligent transport systems spans more than 45 years, has been an active creator and innovator, leading the design and development of dozens of technology-enabled road safety products that have been deployed across Australia and internationally.
"I am both honoured and humbled to accept this award. I had spoken to Max Lay several times in the early 90’s at IVHS conferences, the organisation that preceded ITS. His gracious capacity to inspire aspiring engineers has remained with me and has sustained my interest in supporting engineering student research projects,” said Dr Higgins.
The Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to a leader in the advanced transport technology industry and is recognised globally.
Dr Paul Higgins, ITS Australia Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Dr Higgins began his career in the traffic signal unit at Brisbane City Council (BCC), simultaneously pursuing an electrical apprenticeship and engineering qualification at QIT, showcasing a rare blend of technical ‘hands-on’ abilities and design skills. Notably, he established the BCC Traffic Signal Laboratory, which was instrumental in developing Brisbane's BLISS wide area traffic management system during the evolution from relays to microprocessors in the mid-1970s.
Dr Higgins' entrepreneurial spirit led to the establishment of a software engineering company in the late 1980’s, followed by the formation of Excel Infotech in 1992 and its eventual expansion to the Excel Technology Group (ETG) in 1996.
Under his leadership, ETG’s robust R&D focus yielded over 30 innovative ITS products, securing five patents and garnering a reputation for reliability and quality. ETG has also delivered a highly successful range of detection solutions, which are widely deployed across Australia and internationally.
Paul’s pursuit of knowledge and excellence earned him a Queensland Government research Scholarship to attend the Engineering Entrepreneurship Development Program at MIT Sloan School of Management in 2007, further amplifying his contributions to the industry.
Beyond his own achievements, Dr Higgins’ commitment to societal impact is evident through ETG’s sponsorship of undergraduate and postgraduate research students. Paul’s dedication to nurturing future talent was recognised by the Queensland University of Technology in 2007 when he was honoured with an Outstanding Mentoring of Students Award.
Paul was appointed adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Queensland in 2013 which became a six-year tenure, and he continues to mentor and supervise research students today.
In 2023, Dr Higgins received Life Membership of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers Society, underscoring his profound impact and influence.
“Paul’s depth of knowledge, harnessed through an ITS career that includes government, academia and industry is to be celebrated, and his influence will be ongoing through the many transport detection solutions deployed locally and globally to which he has contributed.”
ITS Australia President Silje Troseth acknowledged Dr Higgins’ significant achievements by announcing him as the Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
“Dr Paul Higgins has dedicated his entire career to the creation of products that have enhanced our nation's intelligent transport systems and made our roads and traffic network safer for all Australian road users,” said Ms Troseth.
“Paul’s depth of knowledge, harnessed through an ITS career that includes government, academia and industry is to be celebrated, and his influence will be ongoing through the many transport detection solutions deployed locally and globally to which he has contributed.”
“Paul has also been a trailblazer when it comes to developing the next generation of ITS talent. From introducing a mentoring program for undergraduate and postgraduate students at his company Excel Technology Group, to his ongoing mentoring through the University of Queensland, Paul has ensured the future of Australia’s ITS industry is in capable hands.”
“On behalf of the ITS Australia board and industry, we congratulate Paul on his award,” said Ms Troseth.
The Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award is named in the honour of Dr Maxwell Lay, AM. Dr Lay was a pioneer, leader and ITS industry figurehead, who passionately advocated for the advancement of ITS in Australia, Asia Pacific and around the world.
Dr Higgins will be presented with the Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award at the ITS Australia Awards at the Sofitel Brisbane on 15 February 2024.
Membership of ITS Australia offers a range of benefits
