Dubai Hosts The Landmark 30th ITS World Congress, Spearheading Future Mobility Innovations

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the 30th Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress and Exhibition. The event is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 16th to 20th September.

The Congress, organised by the European Intelligent Transport Systems Organisation (ERTICO) in collaboration with ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacific, is themed ‘Mobility Empowered by Intelligent Transport Systems’. This marks the first time it is held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Prominent keynote speakers include Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation at the Washington State Department of Transportation; Susanna Zammataro, Director General of the International Road Federation (IRF); Ioannis Xifaras, Secretary General, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in Greece; Erik Dietz, President & COO, Michelin Mobility Intelligence; Abbas Mohaddes, Chairman of the Board, Umovity, USA; and Dr. Michio Kaku, a renowned futurist and theoretical physicist.

Participants will engage in over 200 sessions covering four major pillars: Urban Mobility, Innovation in Transport and Logistics, Sustainable Mobility, and Autonomous Mobility. These sessions will address topics such as regulatory challenges for transport authorities, big data, AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, smart freight movement, energy efficiency systems, autonomous driving systems, and high-definition mapping.

The exhibition spans 15,000 square metres and features around 500 exhibitors from 100 cities. It showcases the latest scientific innovations in intelligent transport systems. A special addition to this year’s event is the ‘Start-up Village,’ where emerging entrepreneurs can present their business ideas and network with other exhibitors.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed was welcomed by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Dr. Angelos Amditis from ERTICO. The opening ceremony saw attendance from senior officials and global experts in intelligent transport.

Panel Discussions

The event will host several panel discussions on topics such as Innovations Across Horizons: Automated Transport in Water, Rail, Air; Connected Horizons: National Connectivity; Driving Change: Government Policies; Energising the Future: Innovations in Sustainable Mobility; Revolutionising Mobility: Customer-Centric Tech; Securing Tomorrow's Rides: Navigating Cyber Challenges; Navigating Tomorrow: Big Data and Smart Technologies; Urban Mobility Innovation: Digitalisation to accelerate mobility transformation.

Dr. Michio Kaku delivered a speech emphasising the importance of embracing scientific research and forward-thinking ideas that can transform global history. He highlighted Bell Laboratories' role in inventing key technologies like the transistor and laser.

Dubai's Vision for Smart Transport

Mattar Al Tayer expressed his delight at hosting this prestigious global event for the first time in the region. He stated that "The ITS World Congress provides a prime platform for exchanging views on future mobility among global thought leaders." He added that Dubai aims to convert 25% of all transport journeys into smart autonomous trips by 2030 through its Smart Self-Driving Transport Strategy.

Joost Vantomme from ERTICO praised Dubai's efforts in transforming its transport infrastructure towards seamless mobility using innovative technologies. He noted that this year's edition offers a premier platform for showcasing advancements in intelligent mobility.

The Congress is expected to attract around 20,000 participants from 100 countries. It will feature more than 800 speakers including leading experts in sustainable mobility along with 200 scientific sessions and 500 exhibitors.

A digital mural at the event highlights facts about previous editions of the ITS World Congress since its inception in 1994. The mural also showcases past editions held globally leading up to this year's edition hosted by Dubai which is among the largest in terms of attendees.

The ITS World Congress brings together key decision-makers from Europe Africa Asia-Pacific Americas including ministers government officials mayors regional authorities industry experts who engage crucial discussions align stakeholders on sustainable mobility initiatives.

This year's edition features practical demonstrations cutting-edge technologies designed create more sustainable intelligent mobility ecosystem including topics like drone operations intelligent traffic management AI mobility.

With inputs from WAM