From 27-29 April 2026, the 17th ITS European Congress in Istanbul brought together thousands of researchers, consortium members, city representatives, and policymakers to share knowledge, exchange new insights, and discuss innovative solutions to help steer the future development of mobility.
With a record-breaking showcase in the exhibition, ERTICO featured 24 EU-funded projects, Innovation Platforms and mobility data spaces. Our team of experts contributed to more than 30 sessions, generating valuable reflections, new connections and thought-provoking discussions across the ITS community.
Accelerating sustainable and connected mobility
Monday kicked off with a webinar bringing together partners from the ZEV-UP Project, EvoRoads Project, FRODDO EU Project, and Enhancing Automated Valet Parking (EAVP) for a joint live-streamed session from the demonstration area at ITS Istanbul 2026. The event highlighted ambitious, real-world innovation in future mobility, with a strong focus on CCAM, urban mobility, and electric vehicle solutions, with a real-time remotely operated vehicle operating behind, powered by 5G.
The session featured valuable insights from speakers including María Alonso Raposo, George Christou, Emin Aliyev and Alastair Kitson, whose contributions reflected both the strategic vision and practical progress behind the projects.
Anaïs Baudrier moderated SIS 4 with Andrew Winder on the potential and challenges associated with bidirectional charging and how electromobility can be taken one step further in terms of sustainability, feeding energy back into the grid. The session also counted on the participation of ERTICO partner VTT to showcase the ePowerMove project’s Helsinki pilot, testing AC V2G charging in a residential area. The project is looking at scalable, affordable and inclusive solutions for mass deployment.
Sustainable electric mobility solutions were also the focus of SIS 10, moderated by Emin Aliyev. ERTICO partner Beemobs introduced the ZEV-UP ultracompact and affordable Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) as a safe, flexible, and modular option responding to diverse user needs and addressing urban mobility challenges such as lack of space, oversized vehicles, and limited charging options. In the session, ERTICO partner E-Mobility Europe shared insights into the regulatory framework to enable such solutions in Europe, including bidirectional charging.
Evoking ideas from AI to next-generation connectivity
The Tuesday sessions explored how emerging technologies are moving mobility from ambition to implementation, with a clear focus on scalability, integration and real-world impact.
Artificial intelligence and connectivity set the tone for the day. In SIS 13, Dr Tamara Djukic unpacked the “why, how and what” of AI in mobility management, offering a structured perspective on its role in decision-making and operations.
This was further complemented in SIS 15, where George Christou and Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris looked ahead to 6G, highlighting its potential to enable safer, more seamless and resilient connectivity across transport systems.
Urban mobility innovation was equally in focus. In SIS 16, José Rodríguez and Alastair Kitson demonstrated how Automated Valet Parking is evolving from concept to deployment, transforming traffic management through new standards developed by ERTICO through our innovation platform EAVP, improving integration and optimising operations.
This momentum continued in SIS 19, where Dr Vassilis Agouridas guided discussions on Innovative Aerial Services, reinforcing how the IDI Platform is supporting the development of new mobility layers in urban environments.
A shifting focus on Road Safety, Data & CCAM
SIS 20 explored how connected vehicle data is already improving road safety across Europe through faster hazard detection, reduced response times and enhanced traffic management, with DFRS as a living example of collaboration and a trusted data-sharing ecosystem. The discussion also delved into the revision of the SRTI delegated regulation.
As the morning progressed, attention turned to the infrastructure and frameworks needed to support these innovations. In SIS 26, Dr Eusebiu Catana led discussions on Cloud–Edge–IoT platforms, emphasising their role in enabling large-scale pilots and accelerating deployment. At the same time, SIS 20 brought together perspectives on data sharing for road safety and European delegated regulations, with CEO Joost Vantomme and Emil Berlin moderating a discussion on how policy and data governance can contribute to safer road systems, now and towards connected mobility.
Cross-sector collaboration remained a central thread throughout the day. In SIS 25, Martina Ferrara Snider contributed to discussions on the importance of aligning stakeholders across sectors to unlock innovation and deliver impact at scale.
Dr Stéphane Dreher moderated SIS 31, where speakers highlighted Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) as a key foundation for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility in Europe. Discussions focused on the need to align vehicle technology, infrastructure, regulation and public-private cooperation to ensure Europe’s competitiveness and safer mobility services.
Lidia Buenavida hosted SIS 36, which brought insightful perspectives on the potential of digitalisation and data for cities and national authorities to enhance mobility systems and become more sustainable. CEDR mentioned various Pan-European initiatives that are leading the way in collaboration for data-driven solutions, including the DFRS platform (chaired by ERTICO), the NAPCORE and TISGRADE projects or the CCAM Association, all supported by ERTICO. Martina Ferrara presented the ERTICO Moonshot initiative and its work, understanding and bridging the different governance levels.
At Special Interest Session (SIS) 42 Dr Roozbeh Mohammadi outlined FEDORA’s approach to connecting simulations, unifying mobility data, and enabling interoperability across transport systems via the FEDORA Platform.
To make Europe’s transport network truly efficient, cross-border collaboration needs to come into play. Dr Eusebiu Catana moderated a wonderful panel during SIS 45 to discuss the European Commission’s ambition to consolidate the common European mobility data space (EMDS) and how the EDIC M&L will turn research into real, large-scale deployment. The recently started boostEDIC M&L project is the driving force toward the EDIC’s implementation.
The human dimension of mobility was also brought into focus. Miranda Quijano Monzon and Andrew Winder moderated a dedicated training session that explored how diversity and inclusion can be integrated into automated public transport systems, with contributions from the CulturalRoad, SINFONICA and Diversify-CCAM projects, highlighting the need for mobility solutions that are not only smart, but inclusive by design.
In SIS 44, Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris moderated a panel showing concrete CCAM applications to improve road safety, focusing on Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) protection. The session included insights from ERTICO partners DEKRA and Qualcomm.
ITS Arena discussions turned towards deployment
José Rodríguez and Alastair Kitson presented the path forward for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility, drawing on insights from the SYNERGIES, CERTAIN and EAVP initiatives to illustrate how innovation is progressing towards real-world use cases. Vassilis Agouridas presented the ERTICO Innovation Platform IDI, showcasing the potential of aerial services for transport, logistics, monitoring and surveillance operations.
NextETRUCK held a side event to introduce the project’s Istanbul pilot, the innovative physical features of its truck and the digital tools supporting the electrification of medium-sized trucks toward zero emissions in urban environments. To provide participants with a hands-on experience, the event concluded with a tour of the truck, which was on display in the exhibition area.
Cross-border cooperation, innovation and impact across Europe
A key moment of the final day began with the co-created session on ‘National and Cross-border Projects’, moderated by CEO Joost Vantomme. This session brought together the speakers: ERTICO Chairman, President of ITS Hellas, Dr Angelos Amditis, Steve Schneider, Managing Director, ITS Mobility, Sanni Remonen, Export Manager, ITS Finland, Hanne Nettum Breivik, CEO, ITS Norway, and Markus Wartha, President, ITS Germany.
Developed in collaboration with the ITS Nationals Network, the discussion highlighted the critical role of harmonised cooperation in enabling seamless mobility for both freight and passengers across European borders, an essential step towards a truly connected transport ecosystem.
Across the technical sessions, ERTICO experts continued to shape the conversation, addressing the full spectrum of challenges and opportunities defining future mobility.
The morning opened with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and sustainable urban transformation. In SIS 49, Dr Djukic contributed to discussions on AI-driven mobility management, while Dr Tsampeiris, Ralf Willenbrock and Peter Schmitting explored pathways towards carbon-free smart cities. This perspective was complemented in SIS 50, where Martina Ferrara Snider examined the evolving paradigms of urban mobility, and in SIS 52, where Stephane Dreher provided insights into the readiness of Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility systems.
Advancing AI, automation and resilient transport systems
As the day progressed, attention shifted to the human and digital dimensions of transport. In SIS 54, Lidia Buenavida Peña led a session on inclusive-by-design mobility, emphasising the importance of accessibility in future transport systems. In parallel, SIS 55 saw András Csepinszky explore the potential of next-generation probe vehicle data, while in SIS 56, Dr Tsampeiris returned to showcase how AI-based tools can enhance situational awareness and improve traffic safety. He presented the work done in the ENVELOPE and FRODDO projects and the AI tools they use, including Digital Twins, AI-based traffic management systems, AI-based sensing and perception, and network management tools.
The discussions then moved towards strategic management and infrastructure. In SIS 57, CEO Vantomme contributed to a session on modernising road financing, addressing the need for sustainable and future-proof investment models.
Dr Djukic took the stage once again in SIS 58 to present the next generation of transport management systems, while José Rodríguez and María Alonso Raposo led discussions on safety validation for automated vehicles, alongside the growing role of data-driven road intelligence in SIS 59, which featured insights from the CulturalRoad, CERTAIN, and PoDIUM projects.
SIS 60, moderated by María Alonso Raposo, brought industry insights on the balance of new technologies such as AI, V2X connectivity and digital twins, and shared safety criteria, interoperable data frameworks and governance models through our real-world deployments in CAMBER and EvoRoads projects.
In SFS 6, Ralf Willenbrock highlighted how 3DxVERSE digital twins can turn mobility, energy and environmental data into practical decision support for cities and authorities. He also showed how the ENVELOPE project is advancing sustainable, inclusive Beyond 5G/6G deployment for CCAM through large-scale trial sites across Europe.
In SIS 62, Dr Tsampieris presented the FRODDO vision for a future of robust, safe, secure, and seamless connectivity and automation to support user-centric mobility, involving road operators and public authorities, by developing adaptable and scalable ODDs.
Forward-looking perspective on disruption and integration
In SIS 65, Dr Catana and Maria brought participants together to explore transport disruption, while SIS 67 focused on the digital integration required to unlock the full potential of future mobility solutions.
From AI and 6G connectivity to automated mobility, data governance and inclusive transport, the sessions in Istanbul reflected the breadth and depth of today’s mobility transformation. Through active contributions, ERTICO’s team of experts helped shape these discussions, bringing forward insights, facilitating dialogue and connecting stakeholders across sectors. Together, these exchanges not only highlighted current progress, but also reinforced the collective path towards smarter, safer and more sustainable mobility systems.