All posts by Paul Hutton

Europe’s Network of National ITS Associations (ITS Nationals) has elected Steve Schneider of ITS Mobility in German as its new Chair for the next two years.

He replaces Dónal Hodgins, who has stepped down to concentrate on a new role as part of the leadership of a major project for Transport Infrastructure Ireland in Dublin. 

Mr Schneider was elected following a vote by the 30 members of the organisation, which has an objective to ensure that ITS knowledge and information is transmitted to all its members across the region.

Marc Verhage of Connekt/ITS Netherlands has been re-elected to the position of vice-chair of the network.  Their new terms begin in July.

Mr Schneider paid tribute to the work done by Mr Hodgins over the last two years:

“Cross-border cooperation provides a solid foundation for the smart and connected mobility of the future. I would like to thank my colleagues from the national ITS associations across Europe for the trust they have placed in me, and I look forward to working within our strong, internationally significant network to promote the wider adoption of intelligent transport systems through close collaboration and joint projects. A big thank you to Donal Hodgins, who has done an outstanding job over the past few years and has developed ITS Nationals into a strong independent network.”

Mr Hodgins added: “I don’t think I can hand over the reins to anyone better than Steve, who has been a very active and supportive member of the Co-ordination Committee.  Meanwhile, in Marc, he has an excellent Number Two to offer support and opinions.  I know they, and the rest of the Co-ordination Committee will continue to push the organisation forward.

The ITS Nationals network complements the work of ERTICO, which set it up more than 20 years ago, to share best practice among individual nations’ ITS associations, and helps them support their members.

Its remit includes developing and sharing best practice in running ITS National Associations, connecting the fee-paying members of ITS National Associations to each other, the sharing of news and research to better inform members of ITS National Associations, sharing case studies and promotional materials to further the implementation of ITS and supporting members of the ITS National Associations to attend National, European and Global ITS Congresses, and to support ERTICO and other bodies with the delivery of them.

(Picture – ITS Mobility)

The international network of national Intelligent Transport Systems associations, ITS Nationals,  will be electing a new Chair this summer following the announcement that Donal Hodgins will step down at the end of his current term.

“Regrettably, I will not be putting my name forward again,” Mr Hodgins said, explaining that the demands of the voluntary role means he cannot allocate the time required to the Network.  “ITS Nationals has been transformed over the past four years and the success of the entity raising it’s profile internationally and supporting over 2,200 members of national ITS associations requires a level of continued input that would be challenge for me to maintain. It is important to me on a personal level that I would rather ITS Nationals continues to grow then restrain the ambition of the group.”

Mr Hodgins has been a high-profile Chair of ITS Nationals, sitting on the ITS European and World Congress Programme Committees, as well as presenting at events in Canada, Dubai and Australia, promoting ITS Nationals, on behalf of its members.  The Irishman was Vice Chair of the Network for two years before taking over the top job.

An election process for a new Chair is now underway.

(Picture – ITS Nationals)

The organisers of the major Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Birmingham in October 2027 have proposed four thematic areas that the event will concentrate on.

They’re around humanising safe, smart, multi-modal mobility, a sustainable resilient planet, breakthrough technology for the next era of transport and business strategies to fuel growth, prosperity and quality of life.

These four thematic areas will underpin the technical programme, demonstrations and exhibitions.  They were chosen after an in-depth review of the ITS industry by experts from organisers ERTICO – ITS Europe and hosts Transport for West Midlands in consultation with the Congress International Programme Committee (IPC).

The “Humanising safe, smart multi-modal mobility for thriving inclusive communities” stream will look at people-centred and accessible ITS; equity and inclusivity through technology; user preferences, safety, security, privacy, data ethics and emerging trends in user-focussed design; and a more humane and beneficial transport experience.

Included in the “Enabling a sustainable, resilient planet through responsible development and operation” theme are global environmental sustainability and connectivity; decarbonization, clean energy, and sustainable logistics within a circular economy; intelligent traffic management, data-driven strategies, and efficient operations; optimising systems for sustainable and resilient transport; and balancing environmental aims with operational efficiency.

Meanwhile for the “Breakthrough technology pioneering the next era of mobility” subject, areas include transformative potential of advanced ITS technologies;

connected and automated multimodal transport, advanced digital infrastructure and connectivity, intelligent and autonomous systems development; simulation and modelling; emerging and advancing technologies such as Quantum, AI and VR; and next generation of transport solutions for road, rail, air and maritime.

Finally the “Business strategies that fuel growth, drive economic prosperity and enhance our quality of life” topics include economic and business aspects of ITS development and deployment; ITS market dynamics and economic impact, innovative ITS business models and service delivery, funding, investment, and collaboration strategies; data monetization and value creation and sustainable and profitable business models that support the growth and adoption of ITS technologies.

“We’re keen to discuss and showcase the value of ITS in everyone’s day-to-day lives, and not just have a talking shop of nice ideas,” explained Chris Lane of Transport for West Midlands, who is overseeing the region’s preparations for the event.  “I’m confident that these four thematic areas deliver that and will give real value to everyone coming to Birmingham for the Congress so transport authorities will find solutions to save money, improve safety or boost efficiency, while the supply chain will learn new opportunities to boost their bottom lines.”

Rita Bhandari, Senior Manager, Programme & Knowledge Integration at ERTICO added: “The International Programme Committee has shaped themes that reflect the issues highest on the global mobility agenda. Their expertise ensures a Programme built around priority areas where innovation can translate into real deployment and deliver measurable benefits for society.”

Companies looking to take part in the Congress can download a brochure outlining the commercial opportunities, while the IPC, which includes experts representing ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacific, prepares to launch the call for contributions for papers and special interest sessions next October.

This will be the first time in 21 years that the UK has hosted the Congress, after it was held in London in 2006.  The 33rd ITS World Congress takes place at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham from 25 to 29 October 2027 and is expected to welcome more than 15,000 people from around the world.

(Picture – TfWM)

We have content from both sides of this vast country, as we include some interviews we couldn’t squeeze into our programmes from the ITS Australia Summit last week, plus head to Perth to look at cutting edge solutions in the really go-ahead state of Western Australia.

These podcasts are brought to you thanks to the support of TomTom, Nicander, AGD Systems Australia, TraceMark Flow an NGIS Solution, Westcotec and TRL.

Today Paul Hutton reports again from Australia and talks to one of the world’s leading experts in automated vehicle technology, and to AGD about growing the business Down Under, and also how to best work together when you’re 10 thousand miles apart.  He also learns about Deloitte’s new planning tool and about major event in New Zealand that’s come up.  Meanwhile in Perth we hear from the state of Western Australia embracing vast amounts of technology to manage a busy city area, as well as a vast amount of space, and what happens when a big event taking place doesn’t last as long as expected.

Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode!

Today’s guests are:

• Professor Michael Milford – Director of the QUT Centre for Robotics
• Stuart Douglas – MD of AGD Systems Australasia
• Andy Humphries – MD of MAV Systems
• Muneeb Shaikh – Technical Sales Representative at AGD Systems Australasia
• Alex Hendrick – Manager Real Time Traffic Operations at Main Roads Western Australia
• Michael Priest – Network Operations Major Events Manager at Main Roads Western Australia
• Jacob Vidulich – Software Engineer at Deloitte
• Antony Dixon – Chair of ITS New Zealand

On the final day of the ITS Australia Summit on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Paul Hutton talks to more speakers, exhibitors and thought leaders here on Highways Voices, as we discuss global issues and why the US state of Michigan, the birthplace of the American automotive industry, is represented here to explain how it’s transitioning into a leader in connected, automated and electrified transport.

These podcasts are brought to you thanks to the support of TomTom, Nicander, AGD Systems Australia, TraceMark Flow an NGIS Solution, Westcotec and TRL.

Westcotec tell us how technology can change behaviour, not punish it, while Nicander show off their brand new product using dash cams to quickly and accurately update asset registers.

We also hear about better network management with NGIS and look ahead to when the UK welcomes Australia and the world to Birmingham in 2027, and why Australians should be part of it.

Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode!

Today’s guests are:

• Michele Mueller, Manager Connected and Automated Vehicles and Electrification at Michigan Department of Transportation
• Olly Samways, Sales Director at Westcotec
• Sam Brierley, Business Development Manager at Nicander
• Oliver Looker, General Manager, Location Intelligence at NGIS
• Chris Lane, Head of Transport Innovation at Transport for West Midlands (UK)
• Angelos Amditis, Chair of Supervisory Board at ERTICO and Chair of ITS Greece
• Susan Harris, CEO of ITS Australia

(Picture shows Susan Harris and Paul Hutton – Highways News)

We’re back on the Gold Coast for Day Two of the ITS Australia Summit, discussing how the future of vehicle safety is moving beyond the vehicle itself thanks to the embracing of C-ITS technologies and how connected data is transforming how roads and emergencies are managed.

In today’s podcast, Paul Hutton talks to AGD Systems, TRL, TomTom, QUT and more, as they share innovations ranging from pedestrian-safety detection and crowd-sourced asset management to automated vehicles in remote regions and the future of large-scale mapping, plus how Brisbane could learn from the London Olympics 2012 as it prepares to host the 2032 Games.

These podcasts are brought to you thanks to the support of TomTom, Nicander, AGD Systems Australia, TraceMark Flow an NGIS Solution, Westcotec and TRL.

We hear how connectivity is delivering road safety today, why technology and human-centric design must work together, and that collaboration is defining the future of transport with the message from so many of the guests that partnerships, between manufacturers, governments, researchers, and technology companies, accelerate innovation, harmonise safety standards and deliver smarter, safer mobility worldwide.

Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode!

Today’s guests are:

• Carla Hoorweg, CEO of ANCAP
• Stuart Douglas, MD of AGD Australasia
• Jonathan Brook, MD of The Traffic Group
• Subu Kamal, Head of Product Management & Partnerships at TRL Software
• Toby Hiles, Sales and Partnerships Director at Grid Smarter Cities
• Jennifer Loake, Head of Enterprise Sales – Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, & Korea at TomTom
• Professor Sebastien Glaser of Queensland University of Technology
• Susan Harris, CEO of ITS Australia

(Picture – Highways News)

How will Australia’s most innovative transport leaders use intelligent transport systems, real-time data, automation and cooperative corridors to transform mobility ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games?

That’s just one of the topics you’ll hear about on today’s Highways Voices from the ITS Australia Summit on the Gold Coast.

These podcasts are brought to you thanks to the support of TomTom, Nicander, AGD Systems Australia, TraceMark Flow an NGIS Solution, Westcotec and TRL.

Today we’ll hear how the region is preparing its transport networks for unprecedented demand ahead of Brisbane 2032, including insights from industry leaders on sustainability, efficiency, automation and network resilience, we’ll bring you the first-ever tour of the newly launched Gold Coast Cooperative Corridor, revealing how real-time roadside sensing, collective perception and DSRC communications are reshaping road safety and multimodal management, and we’ll discuss global best practice in mapping, data intelligence, asset management, enforcement, and connected systems, with perspectives from leading companies deploying technology across Europe, Australia/New Zealand and the Middle East.

Subscribe to Highways Voices free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Pocket Casts and never miss an episode!

Today’s guests:

·     Dean Zabrieszach  – CEO, Ohmio and HMI Technolgies

·     Ralf-Peter Schäfer – Vice President, Traffic & Travel Information, TomTom

·     Luke Capelli – C-ITS Specialist, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia / Lexus Australia

·     Kim Thomas – Managing Director, Integrate

·     Oliver Looker – General Manager, Location Intelligence, Transport and Mobility,  Sustainability and ITS, NGIS (TraceMark Flow)

·     John Piper – Sales Director, Jenoptik

·     Ritchie Jones – Interim Managing Director, Jenoptik Traffic Solutions Australia

·     Susan Harris – CEO, ITS Australia

(Picture – Paul Hutton)

The Danish intelligent transport professional Søren Sørensen has been named ITS Nationals network person of the year the organisation’s annual awards ceremony in the Polish capital, Warsaw.

The event was sponsored by SWARCO, The Traffic Group, Daktronics, IDASO, Intertraffic and the 2027 ITS World Congress in Birmingham.

Mr Sørensen is the chairman of the ITS Denmark organisation, and he is also the leader in NEMU – the Nordics ecosystem mobility unlimited, making its systems work cross border in the Nordic countries and beyond, and also playing a major role in the Mobility as a Service Alliance for technology and standardisation

Announcing the award, Richard Neumann from sponsor SWARCO told the group: “I would like to make a parallel to the Danish football team. They have a great slogan: The supporters of the Danish football team, they shout, you are red, you are white, you are Danish dynamite. So that’s what you are, Søren, Danish dynamite, thank you for your contributions to the ITS industry in general.”

the reason that I can stand here is not because of me, it’s because of the IGs Nordic plus the idea that we came together and worked together and created both the previous project Nomad, which was the strategy part of it, and now we’re going into implementation mode. And we’re doing that with the help of all the IGs organization in the Nordics, and in fact, the project is now owned by Nordic plus, so I think we can bring that as a showcase here to ICS nationals, that each country may be a small contributor, but working together, we can really move things and create better mobility for all in Europe.

The other winners were ITS Germany, ITS Ireland, ITS Serbia, ITS Italy and a collaboration between ITS UK, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.

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The gala dinner and awards ceremony for the network of national Intelligent Transport Systems associations – ITS Nationals – will take place tonight (Tuesday 7 October) in Warsaw.

They are sponsored by The Traffic Group, Daktronics, IDASO, SWARCO, Intertraffic and the 2027 Birmingham ITS World Congress, and follow last year’s inaugural event in Switzerland.

It recognises how the individual associations support public and private sector ITS bodies across their countries and picks out leading examples of best practice to share among all members.

There are six awards,  

1. National Policy Champion Award – Sponsored by The Traffic Group

The association most successful at influencing ITS Policy on a national level during the past year.

2. Membership Champion Award – Sponsored by Daktronics

The association with the best testimonials from Members of how they have helped them from the last twelve months.

3. Next Generation Champion Award – Sponsored by IDASO

The association evidencing the most effective activities to support early careers professionals during the past year.

4. Excellence in Transportation Award – Sponsored by the 2027 Birmingham ITS World Congress

The association which stands out as being the most active and effective during the past year.

5. Network Collaboration Award – Sponsored by SWARCO

The association that can demonstrate the results of working with other organisations either in their country or internationally.

6. Network Person of the Year Award – Sponsored by Intertraffic

The individual most valued by the Network for their contribution.

(Picture shows last year’s winners – ITS Nationals)

The Network for National ITS Associations (ITS Nationals), which is made up of 29 national Intelligent Transport Systems organisations across Europe, will recognise the leading national associations when it hosts its second annual awards ceremony in October.

Six awards will be presented during a gala dinner ahead of the Network’s plenary meeting in the Polish capital Warsaw on Tuesday 7 October.

“Last year, our inaugural awards got our member organisations thinking about what they do really well, and that led to some great sharing of ideas that have been picked up and shared with their international colleagues,” commented Network Chair Dónal Hodgins.  “The national associations are committed to supporting their members delivering transport technology, and these awards help us identify the best ways of implementing positives changes for the public.”

The six awards are:

1. National Policy Champion Award

The association most successful at influencing ITS Policy on a national level during the past year

2. Membership Champion Award

The association with the best testimonials from Members of how they have helped them from the last twelve months

3. Next Generation Champion Award

The association evidencing the most effective activities to support early careers professionals during the past year

4. Excellence in Transportation Award

The association which stands out as being the most active and effective during the past year

5. Network Collaboration Award

The association that can demonstrate the results of working with other organisations either in their country or internationally.

6. Network Person of the Year Award

The individual most valued by the Network for their contribution.

To enter one of the first five awards, any of the ITS national associations apply with details of the way they qualify for the award and they must get at least two testimonials from relevant organisations such as members, government ministries or fellow associations. An independent panel will judge the submissions and also choose the winner of the person of the year.

The gala dinner and awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday evening October 7 2025 at the Hotel Mercure Warszawa Centrum, which will also host the ITS Polska 17^th Polish ITS Conference (October 6-7, 2025).

The individual awards may be sponsored by any company or public body who are a member of a National ITS Association making up the ITS Network.  Prices are just €1,200 including two places and a chance to introduce the relevant award at the dinner, continent-wide publicity across ITS National Member organisations, their name associated with the prize in all publicity and to brand themselves as sponsors of the ITS National Network Awards 2025.  More details are available from ITS Nationals Honorary Communications Lead, Paul Hutton.

In order to enable as many association members to attend as possible, places at the award dinner are priced at just €125 per person (plus relevant taxes).

(Picture shows last year’s award winners, sponsors and judges at the inaugural event in Bern, courtesy of ITS Nationals)