Digital Transformation from Siberia: Russia Rolls Out Domestic Transport Planning Software
Tomsk-based design and survey company Indor-Most has become one of the first Russian enterprises to fully switch to domestic software for transport planning. The project not only strengthens import independence but also creates a new growth point for logistics IT technologies.
Strategic Transition
The adoption of Russia’s RITM³ platform by Indor-Most represents a milestone in the country’s transport planning technologies. The company, operating for more than 30 years and originating from the Tomskavtodor design bureau now has access to advanced digital tools for traffic flow modeling and infrastructure digital twins.
Under the agreement, SIMETRA supplied Indor-Most with three core modules: Geographic Information System (GIS), Transport Forecasting and Modeling (TFM), and Digital Twin (DT). Together they provide comprehensive functionality for working with transport data, modeling traffic flows, and building digital infrastructure models. RITM³ will support high-level project execution and introduce modern approaches to transport planning.
The significance of this step is heightened by recent challenges in Russia’s IT sector. Until 2022, nearly 95% of transport models in Russia relied on German PTV Group products. When PTV announced its withdrawal from the Russian market in May 2022, it created urgent demand for domestic alternatives, giving local solutions like RITM³ a growth opportunity.
Scaling Up and Going Global
Successful deployment in Tomsk opens the door to replication nationwide. The platform demonstrates that Russian developers are capable of delivering competitive, full-scale ITS solutions. Its architecture includes more than 20 modules tackling tasks from assessing agglomeration transport networks to real-time traffic management.
The platform’s integration capacity is a major advantage. RITM³ is positioned as a top-level system that can aggregate data from traffic control systems, sensors, cameras, traffic lights, and other smart infrastructure elements. This makes it a strong candidate for integration into “Smart City” systems and broader ITS technologies.
Export potential has already been proven in practice: in 2024, SIMETRA integrated RITM³ in Tashkent as part of the city’s comprehensive transport strategy. The Uzbek capital deployed five modules that enable real-time monitoring and management of urban transport infrastructure.
Evolution of Russia’s Transport IT Market
The Russian transport modeling market has long depended on foreign technologies. Since 2003, German PTV Group software was distributed by A+C Consult, which became the primary provider of PTV Vision VISUM and VISSIM in Russia.
That changed in 2022, when PTV ceased operations in Russia. The exit left engineers without their primary tools but simultaneously opened space for domestic alternatives. SIMETRA (formerly A+C Transproekt), with years of experience using foreign platforms, focused on developing its own RITM³ platform.
From the outset, RITM³ was built around technological sovereignty. SIMETRA relied solely on open-source solutions, ensuring independence from foreign vendors. The platform is now listed in the official registry of Russian software, confirming its domestic status.
Digital twins of cities have become one of the key IT trends in Russia in 2024–2025. According to the Ministry of Construction, all major Russian cities are expected to launch digital twins within the next three years.
Shaping the Future of Transport IT
Deployment of RITM³ at Indor-Most marks a turning point for Russia’s transport IT market. The replacement of foreign software with a domestic solution underscores the viability of Russian technologies and sets the stage for mass adoption by regional design firms.
Within the next one to two years, similar deployments are expected in other regions, with expanded contracts based on RITM³. The platform is certified as compatible with the domestic Red OS 8 operating system, enabling creation of a fully import-independent technology stack.
In the three-to-five-year horizon, experts expect an ecosystem of Russian transport IT solutions to emerge, linking platforms like RITM³ with municipal traffic management systems. Integration with city digital twins will create next-generation mobility management systems.
Long-term prospects include expansion to other CIS markets, provided adaptation to local regulations. Russian transport modeling IT solutions have matured to a level that enables them to compete effectively with foreign counterparts, laying the foundation for technological sovereignty in transport planning.
