General Motors CEO to kick off 21st ITS World Congress

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) today announces that General Motors CEO Mary Barra is to kick off the 21st World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) on 7 September in Detroit, Michigan with an opening keynote speech that will address the changing transportation environment around the world as well as the rapidly evolving technology of connected, autonomous, and electric vehicles. “Connectivity may drive more positive change for customers than any other te
July 25, 2014 Read time: 3 mins

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (560 ITS America) today announces that

948 General Motors CEO Mary Barra is to kick off the 21st World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) on 7 September in Detroit, Michigan with an opening keynote speech that will address the changing transportation environment around the world as well as the rapidly evolving technology of connected, autonomous, and electric vehicles.
 
“Connectivity may drive more positive change for customers than any other technological innovation our industry has produced in decades,” says Barra. “Anywhere in the world that we connect cars to cars, and cars to their surroundings, we will save lives, save time and protect the environment. But only if automakers, suppliers and regulators move forward together to make it happen. That’s what makes this year’s 6456 ITS World Congress such a landmark event.”
 
Barra is the first female to become the leader of a global automaker and was recently named to the Time 100 list as one of the world’s most influential people. This year Fortune magazine also placed her first on its “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” list, and in 2013 Forbes magazine selected her as one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.” Barra began her career at General Motors in 1980 and has been with the company for more than three decades.

In what will be the largest transportation technology event of 2014, the ITS World Congress will attract more than 10,000 international business, government, and research leaders to the home of America’s auto industry, Detroit, Michigan, from 7-11 September to showcase the latest transportation innovations and share ideas and strategies for advancing the development and deployment of intelligent transportation solutions to solve the world’s transportation challenges.
 
“We are elated to have Mary Barra launch this year’s ITS World Congress and if you want to know what direction the future of transportation is headed, then you cannot afford to miss this event,” said Scott Belcher, president and CEO of ITS America, which hosts the ITS World Congress. “Southeast Michigan is at the heart of a growing intelligent transportation industry that will forever change how we move people and goods. There is no better place to showcase the next generation of high-tech innovation in transportation than in a resurgent Detroit.”
 
In addition to Barra’s opening ceremony keynote address, General Motors is one of the anchor sponsors of the 2014 ITS World Congress.

Related Content

  • Connected vehicle technology the solution to safety?
    January 25, 2012
    A series of 'driver clinics' is under way across five states, as vehicle manufacturers and the US Government pin their hopes on connected vehicles becoming the next big advance in road safety. Pete Goldin reports. What would a car say if it could talk? Its first words might be: "Here I am". Many vehicles are communicating that very message to each other right now. Admittedly, this is in controlled environments of US Department of Transportation (USDoT) tests, but within the next few years 'connected vehicle
    Read More
  • Transport problems need ''strong action from policymakers”
    June 7, 2012
    Taking advantage of the attendance of the heads of ITS Asia-Pacific, ITS America, Ertico – ITS Europe, and ITS Malaysia as the host nation of the recent 12th ITS Asia-Pacific Forum in Kuala Lumpur in April, ITS International initiated a round table discussion on the big ITS issues confronting the individual regions. For such a diverse collection of advanced and emerging nations spanning the globe, in terms of the advancement of ITS, a common single issue emerges above all others
    Read More
  • World Congress hosts first responders from southeast Michigan
    September 8, 2014
    ITS America welcomes the 2014 ITS World Congress to a busy schedule of special events this week. Tuesday has been declared Emergency Responder Day in an effort to put a spotlight on what first responders do on the scene of an accident and how ITS developments can help their life-saving efforts run smoother, faster and safer. Anyone in uniform will be granted entry to the World Congress for free throughout the day and can attend two special sessions focused on emergency response.
    Read More
  • Congress ‘needs a lesson in smart transportation’
    December 11, 2014
    Former US transportation secretary Ray LaHood says Congress needs to learn there’s more to transportation funding in the 21st century than building more roads and bridges. He urged smart transportation advocates attending the Smart City Council’s Smart Cities Now forum in San Diego this week to take their message to Congress. There are new people in Congress who are going to write a transportation bill, LaHood suggested, and if they don’t incorporate all of the smart technologies that the forum has
    Read More

Highlighted Content