ITS European Congress in Lisbon May 2023 Report
It was an honor and privilege to represent the ITS Canada organization in Lisbon at the 2023 ITS European Congress. I was able to moderate and provide multiple presentations and share what we are doing in Canada underneath the ITS umbrella. As a participant and representative of ITS Canada, there were several events and opportunities where the ITS Canada accomplishments and ‘voices’ were heard and understood by attendees from throughout Europe and also from the United States.
The ITS World Congress Board of Directors meeting held at the event brought world leaders in ITS from the Americas, Europe and Asia in one room (as well as a few that addressed the Board via videoconferencing technology). I was able to fully participate in the Board meeting as a recognized representative of ITS Canada and articulated our association’s positions on international ITS matters.
As a moderator/speaker and acknowledged ITS Canada Board member, I participated in multiple sessions as well as the invitation only VIP offsite formal dinner. The VIP dinner afforded the opportunity to meet, network and develop valuable relationships with ITS leaders from the UK, from the Lisbon region (including ITS Lisbon leadership) and other European regions. These relationships will be valuable to ITS Canada in the future as we conduct peer exchange activities in the future. The panel topics where I was able to address the audience included:
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Freight Digitalization, Electrification and Old-Fashioned Parking
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Equity and ITS: how do we know that equity is being achieved?
Both of these sessions included ITS Canada perspectives and resulted in post-session discussions on future initiatives in these subject areas.
The ITS European Congress in Lisbon was well attended and ITS Canada was well represented.
Richard B. Easley
Vice Chair, ITS Canada
The CanExport subsidy supported the attendance of our CEO, Brian Heath, to the ITS World Congress Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. ITS Canada was extremely helpful in helping with government and private company introductions prior to the conference. Janneke also helped coordinate meeting times with some of these local government and private company contacts. Mr. Heath attended the conference on May 22nd and held meetings several potential partner companies. On May 23rd, Mr. Heath attended several freight and commercial vehicle presentations at the conference and was able to meet with multiple European and Portuguese stakeholders in the industry. Mr. Heath also met with representatives from the Portuguese government and European Union to explore potential business opportunities. Mr. Heath departed Lisbon on May 24th to return to Canada. The trip was successful in providing insight into the Portuguese & European market. It also yielded important government and private company contacts that can be leveraged as Drivewyze considers direct or partnered expansion into the European market.
Thank you to the Canadian government for the CanExport program and to ITS Canada’s, Janneke van der Zee, for the support in making the trip a success.
Brian Heath,
CEO, Drivewyze
In summary, attending the ITS Europe conference in Lisbon was an opportunity for International Road Dynamics to stay at the forefront of intelligent transport systems, network with industry leaders, and to gain insights that can benefit our organization. It's a must-attend event for those interested in the future of transportation technology and innovation. Here are the key takeaways for attending this conference:
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Business relationships: Met with and nurtured relationships with several existing customers and partners, while also developing relationships with potential new customers.
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Cutting-Edge Technology Showcase: We witnessed the latest innovations in transportation technology, including autonomous vehicles and smart traffic management.
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Networking Opportunities: We (re-)connected with industry experts, researchers, and potential collaborators and expanded our professional network.
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Knowledge Exchange: We exchanged with thought leaders and gained insights into the latest trends and best practices in intelligent transport systems.
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Policy Insights: We have been updated about regulatory developments and government initiatives shaping the future of transportation.
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Inspiration for Innovation: The conference atmosphere inspired new ideas and approaches for addressing transportation challenges
Rish Malhotra,
CEO, International Roady Dynamics
Invision AI’s experience for ITS Lisbon was a very positive one. Our business model is centered around with integrator partners and we were able to have meaningful meetings with 4 of them which we would not have been otherwise able to have. These include SICE, Vitronic, Excelerate, Capsys and Moyvon. Our discussions with Vitronic now are looking at a global parternship and likewise with Capsys: we have partnership agreements in circulation with both. SICE is discussing a pilot trial with us. Beyond those discussions, we participated in the numerous sessions which we found to be extremely informative and useful.
Karim Ali,
Founder & CEO, Invision AI