The organisers of the 33rd ITS World Congress at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre in October 2027 have announced the theme for the event:
Connect Ideas. Transform Transport.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the Department for Transport, Department of Business and Trade, ITS UK and Visit Britain, are collaborating with the organiser, ERTICO – ITS Europe to bring transport technology to life during five days from 25 to 29 October.
“Intelligent Transport has come a long way since the UK last hosted a World Congress, under the banner of ‘Delivering Transport Excellence’,” commented TfWM’s Head of Transport Innovation Chris Lane, who is leading the planning for the host region. “The Congress will enable experts from around the world to work together to solve global challenges, sharing their experience and details of successful implementations, as well as their cutting-edge innovations. Therefore, we will connect all the ideas that are making mobility safer, greener and more efficient across the globe – so we can work together to transform transport.”
The host region has brought together suppliers, consultants and government, along with media, business and exhibition professionals to plan the event, both from a technical and user experience perspective. They are working with ERTICO to deliver the event, which is expected to attract more than 15,000 people to the West Midlands.
“Bringing the ITS World Congress to Birmingham is a unique opportunity to connect public and private stakeholders across the global transport and mobility eco-system,” added Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe. “This does not only reflect our mission at ERTICO but also the collective ambition of fostering collaboration that drives transformative advancements in mobility. As organiser for the EMEA ITS World Congress, ERTICO is pleased to collaborate with the UK in hosting the next edition in Birmingham. Together, we will bring transformative technologies to life.”
“We are looking forward to engaging with the international community to really explain how great our event is going to be,” Mr Lane concluded. “With the Transport Technology Forum, we’ll be taking a lead role at the ITS European Congress in Seville in May and August’s ITS World Congress in Atlanta. Here, we’re looking forward to engaging with potential sponsors and exhibitors, while our Technical Working Group is busy ensure the country’s strengths in ITS, and its cutting-edge technologies, are highlighted.”
TfWM is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which, through initiatives like the Future Transport Zone, is a global leader in the field and at the cutting-edge in key areas of research and development such as autonomous vehicle development, battery technology, the emerging very light rail system and smart ticketing.
The congress will be a prestigious opportunity for public-sector bodies, businesses, and academics to showcase how cutting-edge innovations are driving progress towards tackling the climate emergency, making transport safer and improving traveller experience. TfWM is currently building the network of interested sponsors, supporters, and exhibitors. Organisations and individuals can register their interest here.
The ITS World Congress is an annual event held in rotation between three global regions – the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
(Picture – WMCA)
