Network of National ITS Associations meets in Budapest

Date: 21 November 2006

Meeting addresses a variety of topics, including SMEs and education issues.

The ERTICO-hosted Network of National ITS Associations held its last meeting 27 October 2006, in Budapest, Hungary, thanks to the kind hospitality of ITS Hungary. The meeting was adjunct to the “On Safe Roads in the XXI. conference” held 25-27 October, at which ERTICO CEO Arnold van Zyl was a presenter.

Representatives from 17 countries attended the Network meeting, which focused on the issues of SMEs in the EC’s 7th Framework Programme as well as ITS education. Guest speaker Mr Emil Simeonov, Director of Academic Programme, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Fachhochschule Technikum Wien gave a presentation of European ITS educational activities, and Network members discussed their respective educational developments in their own countries.

In other business, the Network also approved the applications of two new members: the South African Society for Intelligent Transport Systems and TIL-ITS Euskadi. Representatives of both of these organisations were on hand to present their organisations and activities. Mr van Zyl gave a presentation of the Framework for the ERTICO Strategy and an update on ERTICO activities. Network members were also brought up to speed updated on each other’s own activities and upcoming events.

Congress involvement
In Budapest, the Network’s future ITS Congress activities were also discussed. Following the ITS World Congress in London, which saw a very active participation from Network members in both the Exhibition and a dedicated Special Session. The Network will now start to prepare its activities for next year’s Aalborg and Beijing Congresses. 
 
The next Network meeting will take place in Oslo, Norway on 24-25 April 2007 and will discuss possible ideas for a project with an SME focus. A follow-up meeting in Rome in September 2007 was also planned.

For more information, please contact Network of National ITS Associations Coordinator Kara Baptista