The 19th ITS World Congress to present pioneering solutions for the transport and mobility challenges of today and tomorrow, registration now open.

It will be the largest international summit on a smarter use of transport networks this year: Roughly 10,000 participants will come together in Vienna for the 19th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems from 22 to 26 October. Decision makers from the fields of politics, business and administration as well as specialists from the fields of IT, telecommunications and automation will present and discuss the latest technical developments in the mobility sector along with the newest advancements in the networking of transport-relevant data. The event will be organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe in cooperation with ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacific and hosted by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit).

The task of intelligent mobility systems is to make transport systems safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than they are today. In the past, these efforts have often been concentrated on technical developments in individual fields related to transport. Now, the focus has shifted to the networking and individually tailored usability of transport systems and services. In the future, it should be possible for each and every one of us to be “smarter on the way”, which is also the motto of the Congress.

The following questions and others will be addressed in roughly 230  sessions, meetings and workshops: How can the demand for reliability, safety, comfort and efficiency in transport be optimally met? How can the constantly rising volume of traffic be managed intelligently when the expansion of transport networks is simultaneously reaching its limits? How can mobile communication and Internet technologies be put to use for intelligent transport systems? On the first day of the Congress a Ministerial Round Table will take place in Vienna. Transport Ministers from all around the world will discuss the importance of a coordinated and rapid deployment of ITS on a global scale.

Demonstrations of innovative mobility solutions will take place parallel to the discussions in the conference areas. AustriaTech, a subsidiary of the bmvit, is tasked with organising the extensive technical demonstration programme, among other things. The demonstrations are divided into five categories:

• Cooperative mobility: This includes all developments related to the communication between vehicles or between vehicles and infrastructure systems: Cars inform other cars about road conditions or potential hazards, for example. Traffic signs actively share traffic information with vehicles instead of merely standing silently on the roadside. Congress participants can try out these cooperative mobility solutions in real traffic – on Vienna’s busiest motorway, the A23.
• E-mobility: In an age of shrinking oil reserves and ongoing climate change, electric vehicles are an interesting option – especially for cities. But while electric cars and e-bikes are becoming more and more technically mature, the necessary infrastructure, such as battery charging stations, is often lacking. Many innovations will be presented at the ITS Congress, including navigation systems that are specially tailored to the needs of electric vehicles and display the nearest charging station, for example.
• Navigation: Navigation systems have become standard fare in most vehicles. Modern navigation systems take into account the type and purpose of the vehicles they are used in. In this category, a project will be demonstrated that uses navigation systems to track the transport of hazardous goods across the world.
• ITS network management: Today, transport systems largely act independently of one another. Even intelligent technologies are often only used for a single mode of transport: Solutions for private transport primarily support car drivers, while solutions for public transport are oriented towards the needs of the remaining traffic participants. ITS network management is aimed at increasingly linking transport systems with one another.
• Public transport: The goal here is to get more out of the existing infrastructure. Public transport can be made much more efficient by improving passenger control systems and optimising transport routes and intervals. The ITS Congress will include a demonstration of how passenger control systems can be used to achieve optimal capacity utilisation for metros.

In addition to the congress programme, participants will have the opportunity to visit selected infrastructure facilities and study applications in operation during technical excursions. The selection of excursion destinations includes the headquarters of the Austrian motorway management company ASFINAG, Austrian Railways’ traffic control centre at Vienna’s new central railway station, the Donau River Information Services (DoRIS) in live operation on the Danube and the Climatic Wind Tunnel, which can be used to test entire trains in simulated extreme weather conditions.

And since the event is being held in Vienna, it would not be complete without a few cultural highlights: The opening ceremony will feature the world-famous Vienna Boys’ Choir who will show us how “music moves“, as well as a performance of the ever-graceful Vienna State Ballet. There is a wide range of further activities available, including a viewing of the world’s largest Gustav Klimt collection at Belvedere Palace, a visit to Schönbrunn Palace or a river cruise to the Wachau. And in keeping with the fine tradition of the “capital of the waltz”, an ITS ball will be held at the former residence of the Austrian emperor, the Hofburg.

The ITS World Congress is held annually in alternating locations in the Americas, Asia and Europe, and will be hosted by Vienna for the first time this year. Along with over 200 sessions covering the latest topics in intelligent mobility, roughly 300 exhibitors will present their ITS solutions in an exhibition space encompassing 18 000 square metres. The congress is being organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe in cooperation with ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacific.

For information and reservations, visit www.itsworldcongress.com. Registration is already open and a detailed programme is available.

Contact:

Rita Michlits ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Communications Manager,  AustriaTech

Carla Coppola ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Communications ERTICO – ITS EUROPE

Stefan Pollach ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Media Consultant