Jean-Mesqui, Chairman of Ertico-ITS Europe provides an insight into the theme and unique characteristics of this year’s ITS World Congress.
Q The theme of this year’s ITS World Congress is ‘Smarter on the way’, what does this mean in real terms and how will it be represented at this year’s event.
A Intelligent Transport Systems collect and use data to provide valuable information for commuters, travellers, drivers, fl eet and traffi c managers and logistics services. Valuable information in the sense that it allows you to make better decisions or to organise transport in a safer and more effective way. Therefore “smarter on the way” means that Intelligent Transport Systems enable smarter mobility decisions.
It will be tangible everyway – at the conference, the exhibition and the demonstration. This Congress will live “smarter on the way”. An example is the Congress navigator. Already when you arrive at the airport, this navigator will assist you fi nding everything you want – the next train, the hotel, the congress and the room for your session.
Q Each World Congress attempts to build upon initiatives of previous meetings. What will they be in Vienna and, as importantly, what are the unique characteristics of this year’s event.
A A unique characteristic of this Congress – building on the previous Congresses in Orlando and Busan – is the Ministerial Round Table, where around 20 Ministers and State Secretaries come together to discuss the importance and opportunities of the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems for achieving their policy goals. The Vienna Congress makes policy, industry, research and users meet. This is exciting and will give another push to ITS.
Q How has374 Ertico ensured that all regions of the world are adequately represented at World Congress.
A Like ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacifi c, we had intensive discussions in our Supervisory Board about the need to further strengthen global representation of ITS at the Vienna World Congress. We achieve this by having a very global representation in the Board of Directors of the World Congress and the International Program Committee. We also closely involve the ITS National Associations in the preparation and execution of the World Congresses.
The Vienna World Congress belongs to all the many, many excellent people who prepared it, promoted it and participate in it.
Q How has the European ITS market developed since the last time it hosted World Congress in Stockholm in 2009 and how does that compare with other world regions.
A We have increasing capacities concerning sensors and data processing capacities with respect to all modes of transport
The next big step is the exchange of data and information between modes, service operators and service providers. Achieving this data exchange will open new opportunities for services and ultimately benefi t the traveller and goods transport.
Q Looking ahead, what is your primary objective this week and how will you want this ITS World Congress to be remembered.
A First and foremost, I am sure that this ITS World Congress in Vienna will be remembered as being full of Austrian hospitality, full of cutting-edge technologies and services and full of people with a common vision – to make mobility more intelligent. And speaking about my objective, actually I would say that as Chairman of Ertico-ITS Europe, I would like that, at the end of the week, concrete progress on a common vision concerning – at least – Europe-wide deployment of some core ITS-based services has been achieved. And on a personal note, my primary objective is to be able to absorb all the innovations which are displayed here and to meet some of the experts who make the uniqueness of.
A Intelligent Transport Systems collect and use data to provide valuable information for commuters, travellers, drivers, fl eet and traffi c managers and logistics services. Valuable information in the sense that it allows you to make better decisions or to organise transport in a safer and more effective way. Therefore “smarter on the way” means that Intelligent Transport Systems enable smarter mobility decisions.
It will be tangible everyway – at the conference, the exhibition and the demonstration. This Congress will live “smarter on the way”. An example is the Congress navigator. Already when you arrive at the airport, this navigator will assist you fi nding everything you want – the next train, the hotel, the congress and the room for your session.
Q Each World Congress attempts to build upon initiatives of previous meetings. What will they be in Vienna and, as importantly, what are the unique characteristics of this year’s event.
A A unique characteristic of this Congress – building on the previous Congresses in Orlando and Busan – is the Ministerial Round Table, where around 20 Ministers and State Secretaries come together to discuss the importance and opportunities of the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems for achieving their policy goals. The Vienna Congress makes policy, industry, research and users meet. This is exciting and will give another push to ITS.
Q How has
A Like ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacifi c, we had intensive discussions in our Supervisory Board about the need to further strengthen global representation of ITS at the Vienna World Congress. We achieve this by having a very global representation in the Board of Directors of the World Congress and the International Program Committee. We also closely involve the ITS National Associations in the preparation and execution of the World Congresses.
The Vienna World Congress belongs to all the many, many excellent people who prepared it, promoted it and participate in it.
Q How has the European ITS market developed since the last time it hosted World Congress in Stockholm in 2009 and how does that compare with other world regions.
A We have increasing capacities concerning sensors and data processing capacities with respect to all modes of transport
The next big step is the exchange of data and information between modes, service operators and service providers. Achieving this data exchange will open new opportunities for services and ultimately benefi t the traveller and goods transport.
Q Looking ahead, what is your primary objective this week and how will you want this ITS World Congress to be remembered.
A First and foremost, I am sure that this ITS World Congress in Vienna will be remembered as being full of Austrian hospitality, full of cutting-edge technologies and services and full of people with a common vision – to make mobility more intelligent. And speaking about my objective, actually I would say that as Chairman of Ertico-ITS Europe, I would like that, at the end of the week, concrete progress on a common vision concerning – at least – Europe-wide deployment of some core ITS-based services has been achieved. And on a personal note, my primary objective is to be able to absorb all the innovations which are displayed here and to meet some of the experts who make the uniqueness of.
