The UK city of Birmingham is set to host the ITS World Congress in 2027.
Ertico chairman Angelos Amditis announced the news on the first day of the 29th ITS World Congress in Suzhou, China.
He also announced that Istanbul, Turkey, will host the 2026 ITS European Congress.
While the two are officially the 'preferred cities', it is likely to be a rubber-stamping exercise to put agreements in place with each city "as soon as possible" to host the respective events.
The Ertico supervisory board made its selection based on the recommendation of the review committee, which evaluates all submissions.
"Birmingham is emphasising ‘real-world experiences’ and delivering practical takeaways, which will be key for the Congress in 2027," Ertico says in a statement.
The successful bid was a collaboration between ITS UK, the Transport for West Midlands, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, the UK Department for Transport and NEC Birmingham, the venue for the event.
The West Midlands region was named the UK’s first Future Transport Zone in 2019 and its mayor Andy Street welcomed a "fantastic opportunity".
“We look forward to showcasing our region’s achievements – our ground-breaking Regional Transport Coordination Centre, our development of 5G connected and autonomous vehicle technology and the emerging Very Light Rail systems," he said. "Innovation and smart transport are a crucial part of our plans to decarbonise our transport and meet the climate change challenge."
Max Sugarman, ITS UK chief executive of Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), said: "Whether it’s in connected and autonomous vehicles, the latest smart ticketing systems or the use of AI and data, our intelligent transport industry is brimming with innovation, with British companies supporting greener, safer and more integrated transport not only in the UK, but across the globe."
“We look forward to working with our partners in the Department for Transport and West Midlands Combined Authority in telling the many great British success stories across our transport technology sector.”
ITS World Congress is an annual event held in rotation between three global regions – the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Next year is the 30th ITS World Congress, hosted by Ertico in Dubai, UAE, from 16 – 20 September 2024.
Meanwhile Istanbul "holds great opportunities for the broader EMEA region to meet" for the European Congress, Ertico says.
"The city’s vision is to focus on effective and inclusive mobility to drive forward a sustainable and resilient future."
