POSTPONED: IT-TRANS demonstrates where digital solutions can be implemented in public transport

Please note the update regarding the IT-TRANS exhibition and congress – due to the risks linked to the Coronavirus the event has been postponed. Further information can be found in our feature article on the Coronavirus:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/coronavirus-it-trans-postponed-and-preventive-actions-for-public-transport/

Public transport is becoming increasingly digital given the growing need for individuality and comfort among passengers and also because transport means are becoming increasingly diverse and networked. IT-TRANS is the world’s leading conference and trade fair to be dedicated to digitally networked urban mobility. When it is held for the seventh time from 3 to 5 March 2020, some 270 exhibitors will be showcasing their software solutions and mobility services at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre. The main focus of IT-TRANS is the user-friendly integration of these software solutions and mobility services into public transport systems. In the spirit of Mobility-as-a-Service, the central focus is on customised transport options with centrally bookable transport combinations that are suggested to individual users.

As project manager Jochen Georg explains: “IT-TRANS is the global industry get-together for public transport decision-makers – these include anything from workshop, operational and IT managers to top management in public transport companies, opinion leaders and digitalisation experts that are active in smart city mobility design. In assuming the patronage for the event in 2020, Andreas Scheuer – Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) – underscores the importance of IT-TRANS and the need for far-reaching changes in public transport.” A new addition to IT-TRANS 2020 is the Future Mobility Lab. Among other things, a control room will be set up to simulate how electric and autonomous vehicles are integrated into a transport system.

Conference with 150 international pioneers 

The three-day IT-TRANS conference deals with aspects such as the use of artificial intelligence in public transport and discusses the progress being made in the field of autonomous vehicles and possible ways of increasing customer loyalty. Other key areas of focus include on-demand mobility offers and data ownership and governance. In a total of 30 sessions, 150 speakers will be sharing their experiences and visions. These include Guillaume Gibon, CEO of Citio Paris, and Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. The high international component at IT-TRANS also extends to visitors, who came from all continents to the most recent event in 2018. There was marked growth in the number of participants from the Middle East, Africa and Australia, with one in seven visitors coming from outside Europe.

One of these was Christian Lebeuf, Director of Technologies and Major Projects at Québec’s public transport network: “For me, IT-TRANS is a special event where I can connect with my peers from the whole industry. Since we do not have the opportunity to exchange information with other public transport operators and authorities in Canada, we visit IT-TRANS because it allows us to meet face-to-face with people who understand what our issues are and who can provide suggestions, ideas and solutions. It’s well worth a trip from Canada simply to connect with that great body of knowledge at IT-TRANS on the exhibition floor, at the conferences and during the networking activities.” Lebeuf, who regularly attends the IT-TRANS conference and plans to travel to Karlsruhe again in 2020, concludes: “For me, it’s a must-attend event”.

Networking and sharing experiences at the trade fair 

At the trade fair, exhibitors such as Atron, Cityway, Clever Devices, init, IVU, Luminator Group, moovel, PTV, Scheidt & Bachmann, Systemtechnik and Trapeze will be presenting themselves throughout the 28,000 square metres of exhibition space. Other exhibitors come from countries such as Norway (Fara), Sweden (Axentia), Israel (Optibus), Japan (Lecip), the USA (Nanov) and Canada (Giro). All of these use the trade fair as a networking and discussion platform. The two Market Update forums, in which exhibitors present their experiences and best practice projects, always prove extremely popular. There will be presentations on integrated planning tools, journey-planner and navigation apps, Bluetooth-based Be-In/Be-Out ticketing systems and passenger information systems. As well as this, there will be a spotlight on augmented and virtual reality solutions and on taxi and ride-hailing for the first time. The IT Family Dinner on 3 March and the Karlsruhe Networking Night on 4 March are excellent ways to get acquainted with colleagues from public transport companies in other countries and to interact with speakers, exhibitors and decision-makers from the fields of IT and public transport. The 1,400-strong Women in Mobility network will once again be using IT-TRANS as an opportunity for holding a meeting of its members.

IT-TRANS’s strategic partners are the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), the Italian transport association ASSTRA, ITS Spain and the Polish Chamber of Railway Equipment Producers and Railway Service Providers.

Background

IT-TRANS, international conference and trade fair on intelligent solutions for public transport, made its debut in Karlsruhe in 2008. Within a short period of time, the event – which is held every two years – established itself as the sector’s most important platform to be dedicated to sustainable, digitally networked urban mobility. The next IT-TRANS will be held from 3 to 5 March 2020 at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre.

Organiser: International Union of Public Transport (UITP) and KMK 

Sponsors: Trapeze, INIT, Scheidt & Bachmann, Cityway, Luminator Group, Systemtechnik, Clever Devices, Atron, moovel, IVU and PTV 

Patron: Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) 

Strategic partners: Transport associations VDV (Germany), ASSTRA (Italy), ITS Spain, TechnologyRegion Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Transport Authority and Karlsruhe Profile Region for Mobility Systems 

Trade fair: Approx. 270 exhibitors on 28,000 square metres 

Conference: 150 speakers in 30 sessions with practice-oriented presentations, panel discussions and workshops 

Further information: http://www.it-trans.org

Source: IT-Trans