Q-Free Road User Charging Lead Ola Martin Lykkja has been awarded ITS Norway Award 2025,  recognizing his outstanding contributions to the advancement of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in Norway and internationally. The recognition reflects the crucial role of collaboration and innovation in shaping the future of transport systems are designed, managed, and funded in a rapidly evolving mobility landscape. Q-Free is proud to celebrate this achievement and the impact of his work across the global mobility landscape.

For nearly 17 years, Ola Martin has helped shape the future of smart mobility through his work in research, development, and project leadership at Q-Free. His commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainable solutions has made a meaningful impact both in Norway and across the wider global ITS community. His contributions reflect Q-Free’s broader commitment to developing open, scalable technologies that support the next generation of mobility and transportation funding.

According to the ITS Norway board, the award recognizes his long-standing role as a driving force behind innovative ITS solutions, as well as his ability to combine deep technical expertise with strong collaboration and leadership across international teams.

Driving innovation through collaboration

During the nomination process, colleagues and partners highlighted not only Ola Martin’s technical achievements, but also his collaborative approach. Alongside his role in developing next-generation road pricing technologies, many emphasized his ability to bring people and organizations together to deliver forward-looking, real-world solutions.

He has contributed to major initiatives in Norway, such as GeoFlow, Tag4All, and GRØNNBY, focused on transport funding and urban mobility,  gaining recognition for his strong teamwork and leadership.

In the Horizon Europe project MODI, he represents Q-Free in a major international collaboration, helping ensure delivery across all five pilot sites, with Q-Free as the only company contributing to each one. He is widely recognized as a connecting force across partners, time zones, and disciplines—strengthening collaboration and reinforcing Q-Free’s position in the global ITS landscape.

Sustainability is embedded in his work, with solutions designed to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and enable fair, transparent mobility systems. Through his leadership, ITS becomes a practical tool for building greener, smarter, and more balanced transportation networks.

“Ola Martin is known for his dedication, collaborative mindset, strategic insight, and ability to bring out the best in others,” said Fredrik Nordh, EVP of Q-Free’s Tolling division. “He combines big-picture thinking with attention to detail and creates a positive environment through constructive dialogue, humor, and patience.”

“It’s an honor to receive this award among such a strong group of nominees,” said Ola Martin Lykkja. “It has been a great experience to be part of Q-Free for the past 17 years. Recently, much of our focus has been on road user charging, enabling fairer and more sustainable ways to fund and manage transport systems. This is work we will continue to develop together with many of the great partners and industry players in this space.”

A well-deserved recognition

Ola Martin’s contributions have earned him strong respect across the industry, and his work continues to support the advancement of ITS worldwide.

Q-Free congratulates Ola Martin Lykkja on this well-deserved recognition and thanks him for the remarkable impact he continues to make at Q-Free and across the global mobility community.

For more information, visit ITS Norway’s official announcement.