A real-life version of the West Midlands Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC), one of the UK's most advanced transport management systems, will be built within the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) at the 33rd ITS World Congress in Birmingham, 25-29 October 2027. The installation will provide participants with the opportunity to experience first-hand how integrated transport is coordinated across an entire region.
As the world's leading event for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), the ITS World Congress brings together policymakers, public authorities, industry leaders, researchers and technology providers to showcase real-world deployments that are shaping the future of mobility. The Operations Centre exemplifies this mission by demonstrating how integrated transport management is already improving mobility across the West Midlands while offering valuable insights and inspiration for cities and regions worldwide.
A Live Showcase of Integrated Mobility
Located within a dedicated ‘Operations Centre’ zone, the real-life version of the RTCC will feature staff from the West Midlands' 24-hour transport coordination, demonstrating how traffic management, public transport operations, emergency services and roadworks are coordinated across the region's transport network.
Through live CCTV and operational data feeds, participants will see how local and strategic road management, public transport services, emergency response and highway operations are managed in real time across the seven metropolitan borough councils.
“Every city of note in the world has traffic management, but what we’ll be showing next year in Birmingham is how the whole transport network can be effectively coordinated under one roof using the latest technology,” explained Colin Wilson of Arcadis, who is working with the Congress’s Technical Advisory Group Lead, Andy Graham, for host Transport for West Midlands.
Mr Wilson added: “We’ll be showcasing the West Midlands’ ingenuity and innovation in bringing together all transport modes so that the entire travelling public in the region enjoys more efficient journeys thanks to joined-up thinking.”
From Local Operations to Global Best Practice
The Operations Centre will be one of many interactive demonstrations within the exhibition, designed to showcase the real-life application of deployment in intelligent transport solutions and their benefits across cities and regions.
An estimated 15,000 participants from across the global mobility community are expected to attend the Congress, providing an international audience with the opportunity to explore how integrated transport management contributes to safer, cleaner and more efficient mobility.
The exhibit will also feature a large visual display of 'The UK and West Midlands in Motion', presenting live information on the strategic road network, roadworks, bus and rail operations, alongside examples of digital twin technologies that are supporting transport planning and operational decision-making.
Exploring Innovation from Across the UK
Complementing this will be a nationwide showcase of innovation from across the UK and Ireland.
“We realise we can’t bring every clever thing the country does into the NEC, so we’ll also have a large map of the UK and Ireland with QR codes where people will be able to interact with the map and see content from all across the country,” explained Bradley Taylor, Head of Markets for Ordnance Survey, who is leading the map initiative. "This allows Congress delegates to immerse themselves in the fantastic impact this community delivers. From Dover to Dundee, Swansea to Sunderland, this Congress will be a truly UK-wide experience.”
Beyond the Operations Centre, participants will experience an extensive international exhibition with a dedicated ITS Arena stage for deployment-focused sessions, alongside a comprehensive Congress Programme with high-level plenary sessions, technical discussions and special interest sessions, addressing the future of connected, automated, sustainable and resilient mobility.
Reflecting on the significance of hosting the ITS World Congress once again in the UK, Colin Wilson concluded:
“I’ve been in the industry long enough to have experienced the last time the UK hosted the World Congress, in London back in 2006. Then the groundbreaking ideas we showed off included satellite navigation incorporating live traffic information, or the ability to buy a train ticket online, the sort of thing we now take for granted. I’m looking forward to seeing things next year that will be commonplace in a decade or so – some of them are so new, we don’t even yet know we’ll be showing them, and that’s what makes this whole event so exciting and unmissable.”
Join the Global ITS Community in Birmingham
Organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe and hosted by Transport for West Midlands and West Midlands Combined Authority, in collaboration with the European Commission and support from the UK Department for Transport and ITS UK, next year’s EMEA World Congress will provide a global platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and the deployment of intelligent transport solutions that are shaping the future of mobility.
Organisations interested in visiting, exhibiting, speaking or exploring commercial opportunities can find further information on the ITS World Congress website or contact the Congress team for additional information and bookings: salescongress@mail.ertico.com
For those wishing to explore the West Midlands RTCC before the Congress, the Transport for West Midlands operations dashboard is available online.
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Photo: WMCA