Skip to main content

Transport Ministers from 53 countries meet for global summit

Transport Ministers from the 53 member countries of the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD gather in Leipzig, Germany, today for a three-day summit on the future of global mobility. The 2012 summit is headlined ‘Seamless Transport: Making Connections’ and will ask how better connectivity can improve lives and stimulate the economy. Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will be the keynote speaker on 3 May.
May 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSTransport Ministers from the 53 member countries of the 998 International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD gather in Leipzig, Germany, today for a three-day summit on the future of global mobility.

The 2012 summit is headlined ‘Seamless Transport: Making Connections’ and will ask how better connectivity can improve lives and stimulate the economy. Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the 5342 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will be the keynote speaker on 3 May.

Gurría will also be presenting the Forum’s 2012 Transport Outlook. Issues for discussion include:

  • Rethinking the Last Mile: What new approaches exist for freight delivery in cities?
  • The Future of Travel: How does e-Ticketing, smart-phone use and data sharing change mobility?
  • Facilitating global trade: Connectivity across borders
  • Transport for Growth: Can better connectivity stimulate economic activity?
  • Smart Grids: How to power the e-mobility future?
  • Collaboration in connectivity: Achieving seamless transport between cities and regions

The event includes a Ministerial meeting, panel discussions with leaders from business, research and civil society as well as bilateral and informal meetings. For the first time, the Ministers’ meeting will be partly open to the media.

“Connectivity is a 21st century megatrend”, said Michael Kloth, acting secretary-general of the ITF. “The digital revolution has made it easier to link up, but people and markets also long to be better connected in physical ways.”

“Enabling transport to become more seamless – between modes and systems, across borders, regulatory frameworks and ownership structures – will stimulate creativity, set free resources, help economic growth and provide better solutions for transport users,” said Kloth.

Related Content

  • ITS industry in the US has grown to $48 billion and will expand
    April 17, 2012
    ITS America has released what it says is the most comprehensive study to date on the scope of the ITS industry in the United States and North America. Researchers found intelligent transportation to be a fast growing sector valued at approximately US$48 billion. Results indicate that cities and states with drastically reduced budgets are turning to technology solutions to maximize existing highway capacity.
  • Smart Cities: a journey, not a destination
    June 30, 2021
    As technologies evolve, cities of the future should prepare for expansion by establishing scal­able systems, suggest Benjamin Ho and James Birdsall of Parsons
  • IRF World Congress 2024: Don't just focus on infrastructure for safety
    October 17, 2024
    Using latest innovative technologies gives hope that deaths can be reduced, says TRB
  • ITF presents latest results on impacts of shared urban mobility
    September 29, 2016
    Speaking at the World Mobility Leadership Forum in Detroit this week, José Viegas, Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum (ITF) will tell world mobility leaders that smart methods for sharing vehicles hold the key to solving a city’s mobility issues, from congestion and air quality to better access to jobs or education. According to ITF, most negative impacts of current urban mobility patterns stem from the extraordinarily inefficient use of the private car. While a car is one of the most