ERTICO kicked off 2026 with a strong presence at key international mobility events, showcasing its leadership in intelligent, connected, and autonomous transport while strengthening collaborations across Europe and beyond.
Setting the Stage at the 105th TRB Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
From 11–15 January, ERTICO brought its expertise to the world’s largest transportation gathering, highlighting the future of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Operations & Management.
ERTICO Chairman, Dr Angelos Amditis, participated in a high-level panel discussion on the 'State-of-the-Art and Future Directions for Intelligent Operations and Management', alongside mobility leaders from FHWA, ITS America, AASHTO, and Google Transportation. This participation builds on ERTICO’s transatlantic partnership with the National Academy of Sciences, emphasising knowledge exchange and the deployment of smart mobility solutions across Europe and the United States.
Driving Innovation at the 53rd Mobil’in Pulse Congress, Paris
From 20-21 January, ERTICO reinforced its long-standing collaboration with ITS France at the annual Mobil’in Pulse Congress, held at the Beffroi de Montrouge. Under the theme 'New impetus for the territories', the event explored mobility innovation, with nearly 60 exhibitors and over 30 presentations showcasing how Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) can support regional development, resilience, and sustainable growth.
ERTICO CEO Joost Vantomme delivered a keynote linking European smart mobility developments to local territorial ambitions, further strengthening the partnership between ERTICO and ITS France. ERTICO’s active engagement contributed to discussions on sustainable mobility, energy integration, and regional resilience, while reinforcing connections between European and national ITS communities.
This participation aligns with our recent cooperation agreement with the International Transport Forum (ITF-OECD), which aims to advance global collaboration on transport policy and the deployment of ITS. By combining Europe’s leadership in mobility innovation with ITF’s worldwide reach, the partnership seeks to foster research, share insights on emerging transport trends, and explore innovative applications such as AI in transport and mobility.
Together with ITF, we will strengthen joint thought leadership through major international platforms and events, including ITS Congresses organised by ERTICO and the ITF Summit, advancing knowledge exchange and collaborative innovation in the global transport sector.
Concluding STREnGth_M in Brussels
ERTICO played a key role in the final event of the Horizon Europe project STREnGth_M, coordinated by AVL List. Over three years, the project advanced Road Transport Research (RTR) in Europe, updated strategic roadmaps, and promoted knowledge exchange through initiatives like the ERTRAC thematic roadmaps.
The event held on 19 January, reflected on achievements, including identifying deployment barriers, evaluating roadmapping mechanisms, and highlighting education and training priorities. As coordinator of the Multiplier Group, Senior Manager Andrew Winder helped extend the project’s impact by engaging stakeholders and promoting collaboration across Europe.
Leading the Autonomous Mobility Conversation in Leuven
The conversation on autonomous mobility continued during a conference held in Leuven by the Belgian Ministry of Transport and Mobility. Mr Vantomme presented on policy and regulation for automated driving, highlighting the organisation’s ongoing collaborations with the European Commission and Member States, including contributions to the European automotive action plan, ECAVA, and cross-border testbeds.
Live demonstrations of Leuven’s public autonomous shuttles provided tangible insights into real-world deployment, further reinforcing ERTICO’s leadership in Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM).
Preparations for the upcoming events before the ITS European Congress 2026
These events collectively demonstrate ERTICO’s continued momentum in intelligent and autonomous mobility. From transatlantic knowledge exchange to regional innovation and real-world autonomous demonstrations, ERTICO’s work exemplifies the translation of research into practical solutions, shaping the future of transport for Europe and beyond.
ERTICO is already preparing for several key events in the coming months. On 9 February, the CCAMbassador Stakeholder Workshop will be held at ERTICO offices, bringing together representatives from current and completed CCAM projects ahead of the 9th Road Transport Research (RTR) Conference from 10–12 February. This will be followed by Intertraffic Amsterdam from 10–13 March 2026, which will gather the global mobility community for four days of innovation, knowledge sharing, and networking.
We look forward to the 17th ITS European Congress in Istanbul (27–29 April 2026). As organiser of the ITS Congresses in Europe, ERTICO continues to lead the way in shaping the future of smart and connected mobility across the continent and beyond.