Introduction
What is a national ITS association?
National - and regional - ITS associations have been established in many countries in order to support the increasingly rapid deployment of intelligent transport systems and services (ITS). They are usually non-profit associations with public and private members which coordinate activities on a national scale. Although it is quite difficult to pinpoint every activity undertaken by the various ITS national associations - as they widely differ in size, membership and specific interests - some of their most important tasks can include:
- Providing support and encouragement of national (as well as regional and local) consensus and cooperation related to ITS development and applications.
- Assisting in the creation of a ITS national strategy which can form the groundwork of future applications.
- Sponsoring or providing ITS training programmes, exchange of information and dissemination of R&D results.
- Building international contacts for the exchange of ITS experiences with other European and non-European organisations.
In spite of their overall differences, all ITS national associations share the same goals of progressing and promoting ITS implementaion as well as providing a focal point for all of the ITS activities undertaken by their members.
To spotlight these national activities on the European level and assist the ITS national assocations in their role as national coordinators, ERTICO created a platform in December 2001 with the primary purpose of addressing the common issues listed above. The formal establishment of the Network of National ITS Associations in October 2004 has provided an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises which are members of their respective national associations to participate in ERTICO activities. Through this role, the Network has been able to ensure that key information concerning the evolution of ITS in Europe is transmitted to all actors at the local and national level and support the promotion of ITS from the ground up.
The Network and its members - those committed to the ideas of ITS - aims to continue the momentum of international efforts and activities concerning ITS.
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