3000 PEOPLE FROM 50 COUNTRIES FOLLOW INNOVATION IN TRANSPORTATION
The door uniting Europe and Asia and opening to the world: Istanbul is also becoming a bridge for collaborations in mobility. With a daily mobility of 34 million and approximately 2 million journeys taking place between two continents, Istanbul, which has a unique system in mobility, is hosting the 17th ITS European Congress. Led by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and hosted by ISBAK, the opening ceremony of the congress took place with high-level participation.
While drawing attention with its strategic location and multi-layered transportation structure, Istanbul, one of the world’s leading metropolises, left many European cities behind thanks to its real-time data analytics and artificial intelligence-supported systems to become the host of the 17th ITS European Congress, one of Europe’s most important transportation events. Standing out on a global scale with a daily mobility of 34 million and approximately 2 million journeys taking place between two continents, Istanbul brought together more than 3 thousand participants from 50 countries at the 17th ITS European Congress. Organized under the leadership of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and hosted by ISBAK with the theme “Bridging Innovation: Integrated, Safe and Seamless Mobility,” the congress, which features over 100 foreign speakers who are experts in their fields, addresses the solutions of mobility and promising projects.
The opening ceremony of the congress took place with the participation of IMM Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, ERTICO CEO Joost Vantomme, ITS Europe President Angelos Amditis, and European Union Delegation to Turkey Representative Jurgis Vilcinskas. In the opening speeches, Istanbul’s smart transportation vision, its role in the global mobility system, and its technology-oriented transformation process were emphasized. At the congress, it was stated that Istanbul has become an exemplary metropolis on a global scale with its multi-modal transportation structure, digitalization capacity, and real-time data-based management systems. The opening ceremony continued with a folk dance performance held after the official speeches. The high participation displayed on the first day of the organization once again revealed the international importance of the congress.
“WE MANAGE ISTANBUL’S MOBILITY WITH KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY”
IMM Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, in his opening speech, drew attention to the importance of being innovative for transportation in Istanbul with its 16 million population: “Istanbul’s magnitude cannot be expressed solely by physical dimensions; this city is a massive living space where the ideas, products, and knowledge of millions of people move every day. Managing such an intense and multi-layered structure is only possible with an understanding that is based on knowledge, supported by technology, and innovative. Today, cities are becoming not just living spaces but also smart systems shaped around data, mobility, and sustainability. This transformation necessitates more integrated, efficient, and human-oriented solutions in city administrations. While the transportation sector accounts for a significant portion of carbon emissions, it is also one of the strongest components of the solution. Establishing cleaner, more efficient, and smarter transportation systems is not just a choice, but a responsibility towards future generations. At this point, smart city technologies offer a strong roadmap with data-driven decision-making processes, integrated transportation networks, and sustainable mobility solutions. We must realize this transformation together to make our cities more resilient, more livable, and in harmony with the environment,” he said.
Stating that they are celebrating ERTICO’s 35th anniversary this year and that they have been contributing to the development of smart transportation in Europe and beyond by bringing together public and private sector partners for 35 years, ERTICO CEO Joost Vantomme continued his words as follows: “We are trying to build bridges of collaboration that shape the future of mobility. There could be no more fitting place than Istanbul to reflect this; because this city is defined by its bridges. Finally, I hope that the bridges we build today are not only physical or digital; but also bridges of trust, collaboration, and common goals.”
İSTANBUL: KÜRESEL VE AKILLI ULAŞIM PLATFORMU
ITS Europe President Angelos Amditis drew attention to the required transformation in transportation in his opening speech: “Establishing cleaner, more efficient, and smarter transportation systems is not just a choice, but a responsibility towards future generations. At this point, smart city technologies offer a strong roadmap with data-driven decision-making processes, integrated transportation networks, and sustainable mobility solutions. We must realize this transformation together to make our cities more resilient, more livable, and in harmony with the environment.”
İSTTELKOM: AKILLI ULAŞIMIN DİJİTAL OMURGASI
IMM’s transportation and technology subsidiary companies; ISTTELKOM, Şehir Hatları, ISPARK, BELBIM, Istanbul Ulaşım, and Metro Istanbul also took their places at the fairground. ISTTELKOM AŞ drew attention with its infrastructure solutions, which are the most critical layer of the technological transformation in transportation. While the projects of the subsidiary companies were exhibited at the fairground, the technological ground on which smart transportation systems are built and data security issues came to the forefront.
Sharing his views at the organization and touching upon the sectoral importance of the fair, ISTTELKOM AŞ Acting General Manager Sinan Öztimur noted the following: “The fact that the ITS European Congress, one of the world’s most important meeting points in the field of transportation technologies, is hosted by Istanbul this year is a source of great satisfaction for us. As ISTTELKOM, our main role in this giant system is to establish the uninterrupted and secure digital infrastructure required by the smart transportation network. By ensuring the continuity of communication systems, fiber optic infrastructure, and high-speed data transmission in our city, we create the technological ground upon which all transportation solutions will be safely built. As an IMM subsidiary, we are happy to contribute to Istanbul’s mobility vision with this critical infrastructure support we provide to transportation and our identity as a digital infrastructure provider.”
