ITS Congresses

The sharing of knowledge and experiences amongst ITS community members is a critical contributor to helping progress the development and implementation of ITS.

The ITS World and European Congresses provide the ideal opportunity for all players to come together and make the necessary contacts to move initiatives forward. Over the years, they have also received the highest support throughout the ITS world from government, industry and other organisations.

ERTICO and ITS Congress Association

In autumn 2005, the ERTICO Supervisory Board approved the recommendation to separate the operational activities of the ITS Congress Association (originally created in 1997) from ERTICO of 1 January 2006.

ITS World Congresses in Europe are organised by ITS Congress Association on behalf of ERTICO in cooperation with the host country, regions and local authorities as well as ITS America and ITS Japan. For World Congresses taking place in Europe, ERTICO makes the final decision concerning the host city, motto and the thematic focus of each Congress and is responsible for the broad content and the thematic focus of the programme.

European Congresses are organised by ITS Congress Association on behalf of ERTICO in cooperation with the host country, regions and local authorities. Similar to above, ERTICO makes the final decision concerning the host city, motto and the thematic focus of each Congress and is responsible for the broad content and the thematic focus of the programme.

World Congresses
The World Congresses and Exhibitions on ITS move to a new region each year, stopping in Europe every third year.

In 2003, more than 7000 people from 72 countries participated in the Madrid World Congress and Exhibition. Safety topped the list of hot topics, with high-level participants reinforcing their commitment to its enhancement and the more than 200 exhibitors demonstrating the state-of-the-art in ITS technologies.

In October 2004, the event moved to the Asia-Pacific region, with Nagoya, Japan serving as welcoming host to the largest ever ITS World Congress. The Congress, magnificent Exhibition and a bevy of other ITS-related events across Japan attracted hundreds of thousands of people and generated a tremendous amount of ITS interest.

In November 2005, San Francisco’s World Congress attracted around 7000 participants from over 50 countries. More than 40 demonstrations at the Innovative Mobility Showcase gave attendees an opportunity to experience the latest implementations of ITS technologies, including “ride and drives” in automobiles, trucks and buses fitted with ITS solutions along the streets of San Francisco.

The World Congress returned to Europe in 2006, when London delivered a high-calibre World Congress event, 8-12 October 2006, with 7000 participants from over 75 countries. Kicking off with a fantastic Opening Ceremony and through almost a whirlweek week of innovative sessions, top-class Exhibition, technical visits, social events and more, London exceeded all expectations.

2007 saw the World Congress hosted in Beijing, China. The event was held at the Beijing Exhibition Center under the theme "ITS for a Better Life. Reviewing and showcasing the ITS industry's latest products and technological achievements, the Congress offered a view to future trends. The event also gave the world a glimpse at China's ITS achievements by organising technical tours and sightseeing activities, including the ITS projects underway in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 Shanghai Expo and Guangzhou Asia Games.

The city of New York has already started its Congress preparations for 2008. The 15th ITS World Congress is billing itself as the ultimate global ITS event, and with the theme "ITS Connections: Saving Time, Saving Lives", it will feature over 200 education sessions, exciting technical tours, a top-class exhibition and much, much more!  

New York Preliminary Programme now available here!

The city of Stockholm is getting ready to host the 16th ITS World Congress in September 2009. The Congress and Exhibition will focus on the benefits of ITS for end users and society under the theme "ITS in daily life" and will cover all modes of transport. 

Consult the Stockholm Call for Papers now !

CfP Stockholm 2009_DEF.pdf (956 KB)

ITS WORLD CONGRESSES
2008   16-20 November		New York
2009   21-25 September		Stockholm
2010		Busan, South Korea

European Congresses
In 1999, ERTICO launched the first "ITS in Europe" event, filling the gap with European-focused events in the years that the World Congress takes place outside of Europe.

In 2004, the focus shifted to Central and Eastern European countries with the 4th European Congress and Exhibition, held in Budapest, Hungary, 24-26 May 2004. After the historic accession of the 10 new Member States, this event shed light on the many exciting opportunities in the region.

The dynamic and historic city of Hannover, Germany hosted the fifth ITS in Europe Congress and Exhibition 1-3 June 2005. A tremendous amount of interest was generated in the Congress, which attracted a record number of contributions as well as almost 1000 delegates from 37 different countries and 900 exhibitors and visitors - making it the largest European ITS Congress to date.

The 2007 European Congress took place in Aalborg, Denmark, at the "top of the continent". Attracting over 700 participants, the successful Aalborg event was notable for its profound local commitment to ITS innovation, which was exemplified in the Congress programme, technical visits and social event. The financing and implementation of ITS was a common thread through the Congress and was featured in many of the sessions.

The 7th European Congress and Exhibition on ITS was held 4-6 June 2008 at the Palexpo Convention Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The Congress was organised by ITS Congress Association in cooperation with ITS Switzerland, the Swiss Confederation and the Canton of Geneva. Delegates from all over Europe and the Middle East attended the event.

The programme was ranging from the strategic vision to the technical implementation of ITS applications, from research and planning to the operational use of systems and services. At the exhibition, world-class suppliers presented their latest ITS innovations including advanced vehicle control systems, travel information and traffic management systems, digital mapping, public transport applications, smart card and communication technology. Technical visits to sites with ITS applications in Switzerland, and in nearby France, were also arranged.

ITS IN EUROPE CONGRESSES
2010  May/June	Thessaloniki, Greece
2011  June	Lyon, France

For more information on future ITS Congresses, please contact Valérie Mindlin at ITS Congress Association