Day One recap at #ITSDubai2024 and what a productive start to the week.
Kicking off the program, ITS Australia CEO Susan Harris was an invited moderator for The Future of Mobility Summit where a select group of global ITS leaders came together discuss the key areas considered essential to delivering safe, resilient and sustainable mobility. As moderator of the Technological group, Susan led a discussion where contributors from Europe, North America and the UAE considered tech innovations that are advancing sustainable mobility and the social, economic and policy factors that are both supporting and hindering progress.
In one of the day’s first sessions, AI & Data for Transport System Management facilitated by Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) Armin Guttke, Damian Garnham, Deloitte, Jennifer Loake TomTom and Emily Bobis Compass IoT canvassed how their organisations are leveraging data to support improvements to transport systems across issues such as congestion, safety and emission reduction.
Main Roads Western Australia's Manager of ITS Operations Cory Ross joined a deep dive into the future of networks operations and TMCs with C-ITS and data. Cory outlined the WA Government’s C-ITS Roadmap and some of the unique challenges for the State, including 128,000 kms of roads over an area that is 2.5 times the size of the US State Texas. There has been exponential growth of ITS devices on the network in WA, and the rollout of technology will be critical in improving progress to the ambitious road trauma and emissions reductions targets that are currently going in the wrong direction.
Later on day one, ITS Australia Policy Manager Stacey Ryan joined an all-female panel including Carol Schweiger, Sharon Kindleysides The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport- London and Renee Autumn Ray Hayden AI for a fascinating discussion on artificial intelligence and data bias in ITS where the panel suggested best practice guidelines may serve as a better starting point than regulation to support industry in managing the rapid technological change of AI.
We also congratulate the senior ITS leaders recognised with lifetime achievement awards today – Shailen Bhatt, outgoing Federal Highways Administrator in the US, former Intelligent Transport Systems UK Secretary General Jennie Martin MBE FCILT and Ninnart Chaithirapinyo from ITS Thailand - Thai Intelligent Transport Systems Association all inducted into the ITS Hall of Fame.
We were also pleased to welcome a delegation led by ITS Singapore, including the Deputy Chief Executive of the Land Transport Authority to the ITS Australia stand on day one. These informal networking opportunities are an important building block for ongoing collaboration across the Asia Pacific region.
The day finished with the ITS Australia VIP Cocktail Reception, but more on that later…