Next week (April 16-19) Intertraffic Amsterdam, one of the world’s largest surface transportation expos, will return bigger and better than ever before, with an expanded Summit & Demonstration Programme, startup showcase and, of course, its prestigious awards. TTi editor Tom Stone speaks to the organizers to get some exclusive insight into the highlights to watch for
With over 900 exhibiting public and private organizations spread over 13 halls and over 35,000 industry professionals expected to visit from around 140 different countries, Intertraffic Amsterdam 2024 is predicted to be the largest edition ever.
“Since its inception in 1972 Intertraffic has been known for identifying trends, launching new solutions, giving the world its first view of ground-breaking technological innovations as well as announcing a plethora of initiatives and best practices, new players, major collaborations and joint ventures,” says Intertraffic’s director of global events Joyce de Winter.
On the agenda are 110 knowledge sessions in the Intertraffic Summit & Demonstration Programme, running in four large theatres on the event floor in Hall 7, alongside an area for networking and indoor demonstrations. The program will offer pitches, demonstrations, interactive presentations, panel discussions, workshops and debates on solutions to address the ever-growing accessibility, road safety and climate challenges.
“Key trends include digitalization, automation, electrification, and increased demand for real-time travel information”
Joyce de Winter, director, Intertraffic Worldwide Events
The event as a whole will have a strong focus on climate-resilience, AI, IoT and interoperable solutions as well as innovations that are helping to combat the rising number of road fatalities. “Key trends include digitalization, automation, electrification, and increased demand for real-time travel information,” says de Winter. “Specifically emphasized in the Summit Programme will be sessions tailored to policy makers from cities, road operators or technology vendors”
Sustainable urban mobility solutions and seamless mobility services will be covered with visitors invited attend workshops and panel discussions on transit solutions and bicycle-oriented infrastructure.
Challenges such as stimulating active travel will be covered in sessions from the likes of the European Cyclists’ Federation, Polis and the Dutch Cycling Embassy and the MaaS Alliance.
Parking technology will also be well represented with workshops from the European Parking Association and presentations from major players. And, as it is increasingly difficult to talk about parking without also mentioning EV charging, there will be a new addition to the Summit Programme – Electric Vehicles & Charging.
Intertraffic Awards
The whole event will kick off on Tuesday April 16, 2024 with an opening ceremony which will culminate in the announcement of the winners of the Intertraffic Awards in each of the three categories: the Green Globe Award, for innovation that delivers environmental benefits; the Inspiration Award, for groundbreaking products inspiring the industry; and the User Experience Award, for excellence in control systems.
There are five nominees in each of the three categories, representing mobility solutions manufacturers from 11 different countries. Five industry experts make up the Intertraffic Awards Jury. They spent many hours deliberating over all 75 entries to this year’s awards, with each jury member applying individual scores before the entire panel, chaired by CROW director Pieter Litjens, came together to debate the merits of each innovation, and eventually whittle the entries down to the final 15.
Before Intertraffic Amsterdam each of the nominees will be invited to the Jury Day at the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre, the home of Intertraffic, to present their innovations and answer questions from the jury. Then, after further deliberation, a winner in each of the three categories will be decided upon in time for the big announcement at the start of Intertarffic Amsterdam.
This edition’s nominated companies are, in the Green Globe category… EZ Group (South Korea), Movyon (Italy), Invision AI & Ex Machina (Greece), Sernis (Portugal), abd Sealed Air (Italy). In the Inspiration category… SK Planet (South Korea); a second nomination for Movyon (Italy), Valerann (UK), Meridian Rapid Defense Group (United States), and Vianova (France). And in the User Experience category… RCE Systems (Czech Republic), PTV Group (Germany), SKIDATA (Austria), Intelligent Instruments (UK), Traff.io (Australia)
ITSUP startups
Intertraffic offers startups their own exposure platform ITSUP, an integrated event at Intertraffic Amsterdam, facilitating the perfect opportunity to pitch innovative solutions to traffic technology professionals, featuring a dedicated area and an open stage available for presentations as well as a networking corner facilitating matchmaking. As the exclusive sponsor of the ITSUP area in Hall 6, Swarco will be helping visitors to get in touch with new ideas and concepts from new companies. A special challenge for the startups will be launched, and the best solution awarded with a Swarco prize.
This year’s ITSUP Challenge will focus on encouraging collaboration among different startups and bringing cities directly into the equation, across two key topics – sustainability and road safety. Under either or both topics, ITSUP participants will invited to find the right partner and develop a proof of concept and will be assisted by experts from the industry, guiding them through the matchmaking and development phases. The winning idea will come to life on the streets and will have Swarco’s support for future developments.
Appy days
Quality networking is a big part of an event experience, therefore all registered visitors and exhibitors will get access to the Intertraffic app to help them effectively prepare, mark favorite summit sessions, connect with world-class speakers and network with peers. The Intertraffic app unlocks the full potential for attending professionals looking for meaningful business interactions. It facilitates matchmaking, pre-planning of meetings based on interests and various types of interaction amongst exhibitors and visitors.
Register now for your event pass at www.intertraffic.com
An extended version of this preview appears in the March 2024 edition of TTi magazine, where you can also read about some of the exhibitor highlights to look out for in Amsterdam
