ITS World Congress returns with all the latest innovations in smart mobility

April 3, 2023

ITS World Congress, the largest world event in the intelligent transport system and services, returns in September 2024 in Dubai.

The organizers have already started the processes for the preparation of the tech event and proceeded with a first presentation of what we can expect to see in Dubai next year.

Representing 4i Magazine, I participated in the first Open Day for ITS World Congress 2024, organized in March.

I had the opportunity to see first-hand the preparations for the tech event and get a complete and comprehensive picture of what is going to take place in Dubai.

ITS World Congress: What to expect

The Dubai Congress will take place from September 16 to 20, 2024. More than 20,000 international participants and more than 500 exhibitors are expected. The participants will have the opportunity to watch the processes of the biggest mobility event in the world closely on an area of 15,000 sqm.

“Mobility driven by ITS” will be the main theme of the tech event. Other topics to be discussed and presented in detail will be urban mobility, innovation in transportation and logistics, clean mobility, and automated mobility.

Lisa Boch-Andersen, Director of Communications, Congresses & Events, ERTICO – ITS Europe, explained, “for 40 years, the Dubai World Trade Centre has been supporting large events with full audio-visual and rigging support, onsite advertising, branding and stand building. The venue offers an outdoor Exhibition Plaza (4,800 m2) next to the indoor Saeed Halls 1, 2 & 3 (15,000 m2) with a total area of 19,000 m2”.

From his point of view, Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali – Director Buses Operation and Sponsorship Team – RTA, described Dubai as the number one global hub for business events and presented some statistics on the quality and conditions of life in the area.

He also said that Dubai is a popular and attractive destination for international association meetings and a leader in key sectors, including healthcare, information technology, tourism and retail, trade and logistics, financial services, construction, education, and manufacturing. Moreover, he presented RTA’s strategies for self-driving transportation and zero-emission and gave examples of the “Dubai Electric Bus Trial Project” and the “Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving”.

Participants from all over the world

Jerome Buchanan – Commercial Partnerships and Exhibition Lead, ERTICO – ITS Europe, gave us an insight into the geographic profile of the ITS World Congress audience. He emphasized that among the participants will be delegates from various sectors, such as automotive manufacturers, ITS national associations, system integrators, telecommunication operators, and many more.

According to Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe, “the ITS World Congress allows the smart mobility community to come together to explore the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies. I am very much looking forward to this ITS World Congress taking place in Dubai in 2024. Dubai’s transport has been defined as advanced, sustainable, and smart to make travel safer and smoother. The Government of Dubai has taken the lead to transform the city’s transport infrastructure by working towards seamless and sustainable mobility which includes the adoption of the latest innovative technologies. All this and more will be showcased during the Congress and I look forward to welcoming transportation leaders from across the world to this ITS World Congress.”

My first impression from the presentation for the ITS World Congress is that very interesting issues will be discussed. Smart mobility is a field that is developing very fast, and the innovations presented during the conference will certainly be of great interest.

Smart mobility is an area of intense concern for the European Union. The EU strategy for sustainable and smart mobility was recently launched, which aims to send a political message about the EU’s commitment to a more sustainable, smart, safe, resilient, and inclusive transport system.

This transformation is necessary and will contribute significantly to achieving the goal of a climate-neutral EU by 2050, based on the Paris Agreement. Conferences like the one that will be held in Dubai in September 2024 can contribute significantly to the spread of smart mobility and the adoption of a new policy in the field of transport.