The starting gun has been fired for the 33rd ITS World Congress, with the call for demonstrations and contributions now open.

The closing ceremony of the 32nd Congress in Gangneung, Korea, saw the baton passed to ERTICO, Transport for West Midlands and the Department for Transport as they prepare for the Congress to come to Birmingham in a year’s time.

Technical programme opens

ERTICO (ITS Europe) announced the opening of submissions for the Technical Programme, inviting researchers, academics, transport professionals, policymakers, and industry experts from around the world to share their expertise, research findings and experience.

The Congress programme is structured across four key topics:

Trustworthy and Resilient Systems focuses on strengthening transport system reliability through cybersecurity, trusted data sharing, interoperability and resilient infrastructure.

Next-generation ITS showcases scalable ITS solutions using AI, quantum technologies, robotics, intelligent vehicles and digital twins to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability.

Connected and Integrated Services explores integrated mobility through multimodal transport, connected vehicles, smart logistics, transport-energy integration and alternative fuels.

Deploying ITS at Scale examines the practical challenges of implementing and expanding ITS, including infrastructure, operations, governance, policy, user-centred design and proven approaches.

The Call for Contributions offers four submission formats:

• Special Interest Sessions (SIS): Designed as curated, discussion-led sessions exploring timely challenges and emerging opportunities. Organisers are invited to propose sessions that bring diverse perspectives together around important topics, developments, policies and achievements.
• Technical Papers: Focusing on practical, current work, including deployments, pilots, technologies, operational experience and business or institutional aspects, these sessions will share applicable solutions, evidence from real-world implementation, and lessons learned.
• Research Papers: Presenting original, rigorous, peer-reviewed research, methodology, analysis and validated findings, contribute new knowledge and advance understanding of important ITS challenges.
• Posters: A new format offering researchers, start-ups, students, innovators and project teams the opportunity to share projects, pilots, early-stage results, emerging ideas and practical experiences in a visual and interactive way.

The submission portal closes on Friday 22 January 2027. Qualified experts will review submissions for inclusion, with the final selection made by the International Programme Committee. Successful contributors will receive preparation guidance for their sessions and presentations, as well as promoting their participation. Moderators and speakers will be eligible for a reduced registration fee.

Call for Demos

Live demonstrations will be a key feature of the World Congress in Birmingham, giving participants the opportunity to experience first-hand how innovative technologies are addressing real-world transport challenges.

Companies developing the next generation of transport technology are now being invited to showcase their new technologies, processes, services and more before an international audience of decision makers, potential customers and industry leaders as the Call for Demonstrations opens.

Indoor and outdoor demonstration areas will put participating companies close to the main exhibition and Congress sessions, making it easy for participants to move between discussing transport challenges and seeing potential solutions in action. For demonstrators, that proximity creates opportunities to attract visitors, explain their technology’s benefits and continue the conversation with prospective customers.

The Call welcomes proposals from established businesses, start-ups and academic institutions. Demonstrations can feature all forms of transport technologies, with potential applications ranging from automated mobility and cleaner transport to logistics, digital traffic management and enforcement.

Demonstrations will be displayed in two dedicated areas: indoor and outdoor. The outdoor area will be enclosed and subject to conditions including weight limits, while the indoor space, alongside the exhibition, will have requirements including height limits. Further criteria may follow. Space in both demonstration areas is limited. The Call for Demonstrations is open from 22 October 2026 to 22 January 2027. Organisations wishing to participate as demonstrators must also be exhibitors at the Congress.