Since you mentioned Pudliszki and Kotlin, here's the Polish Map of Ketchup [1]. The Polish ketchup market is quite varied. The map shows where different ketchup brands are produced.
I always wanted to combine the Sims and Sim City. I imagined a multiplayer mode where you could live in the same city with your friends and your choice of career would allow you to use a different game mode at the SimCity level. E.g. your sim becomes a teacher, so now you decide where to place schools, etc. You have to work as a team to make sure all sims are happy in the city.
You are right, GPS alone doesn't. But it's augmented with both specialised maps (from the private companies you mentioned) and sensor data. Some self-driving cars use detailed 3D maps containing information about e.g. traffic light positions and have technology to read road signs and lights. Just like human drivers do.
I used to work for TomTom and at the time they were just getting into the self-driving cars sector. I don't know where they are with it now, but four years ago they were already building high-definition 3D maps for autonomous cars. And they had road sign reading technology.
You can see their HD 3D map in a video [1] where they also explain how it's constructed using their mapping vehicles.
EDIT: To make my point clear, we don't really need to invest in smart roads - the cars and the supporting tech are already smart enough.
I'm a software engineer based in Edinburgh and in my previous job I was responsible for hiring into my team. The city is becoming a strong tech hub and from my experience there are not enough engineers available on the market.
There are lots of software engineering jobs here, mostly JavaScript, other web dev, and machine learning (though, admittedly, fewer entry level positions).
You don't need a degree to get a job but you have to demonstrate skills and professionalism.
- Set up a GitHub profile and fill it with your coding exercises/pet projects. The more of your own code the better. Code style and commit messages matter. Show that you can push professional code. I always looked through GH profiles of potential candidates when available.
- Set up a LinkedIn profile. This will allow headhunters to find (and spam) you. You may not have professional coding experience yet but you have a degree and have been learning programming for a while. This is an asset. Include information about programming languages - you need keywords. And link to your GitHub profile.
Edinburgh (and other cities) has lots of meetups. They are free and good for making new connections. And you may hear about open positions.
It's probably obvious, but so many people don't do it: when applying for a job, triple check your CV and all communication for typos. When reviewing job applications we looked for attention to detail and professional communication. A great communicator with a strong will to learn would often be a better fit than a more experienced person who couldn't communicate.
If there's a position/company you really want to work for, be persistent. Ask for feedback after unsuccessful applications. Some places won't send any, but it's always worth a try and it will help you improve.
It's ok to reapply to the same place.
Don't underestimate covering letters - they help you sell yourself and can be the difference between you and another candidate who didn't bother writing anything. Think about your strengths and point them out.
This is not an endorsement, but FYI, if you feel you need help improving your skills and making professional connections, there are coding schools available (e.g. in Scotland we have CodeClan).
And I've just learnt that Heinz owns Pudliszki.
[1]: https://i.wpimg.pl/1200x/d.wpimg.pl/2014472425--622848009/ke...