Event
27/04/2026 - 29/04/2026 Istanbul, Türkiye

ITS European Congress 2026

The 17th edition of the ITS European Congress, organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe, will be hosted in Istanbul (Türkiye), from 27 to 29 April 2026.

Organised by ERTICO – ITS Europe, in collaboration with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and ISBAK, and supported by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Türkiye, the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB), and ITS Türkiye, the ITS European Congress is an unmissable event for smart mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

The theme of the 2026 ITS European Congress is ‘Bridging Innovation: Integrated, safe and seamless mobility’, highlighting the pressing issues faced by the current mobility landscape. This is reflected in the city of Istanbul, a gateway between two continents and which is heavily investing in smart infrastructure and resilient mobility.

In the words of Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe:

‘As Istanbul continues its transformation into a more efficient, liveable and intelligent mobility ecosystem, the Congress will highlight its unique position to showcase operational mobility solutions already in motion,  providing a platform for sharing lessons learned, evaluating deployment outcomes, and identifying replicable models that address some of the most pressing mobility issues.’


Topics on the agenda

The Congress convenes stakeholders across the entire mobility sector to experience real-world solutions and services, providing participants with practical knowledge on the deployment of intelligent mobility systems.

The 2026 edition will address four strategic topics:

  • Safety and resilience through intelligent systems, exploring how to leverage intelligent technologies like AI, C-ITS, and V2X to enhance continuity, accountability, and impact;
  • Multimodal mobility system management, on how to embed intelligent traffic and demand management with shared, automated, and public transport;
  • Smart and sustainable logistics in the digital era, diving into the potential of digital solutions in reshaping freight;
  • Enhancing transport and mobility beyond the road, looking into emerging technologies and innovations that can improve sustainability and integration of non-road modes.

The three-day event will feature a wide array of content pillars, from technical and strategic sessions to commercial dialogues, live demonstrations and an international exhibition, bringing together innovators, policy leaders, academics, and mobility stakeholders.

The preliminary programme is now available here.


POLIS in the spotlight

Co-created session – Who is in the driver's seat? Governing automated mobility

📅 Tuesday, 28 April 2026
🕒 14:00 – 15:00
📍 CC4

The session is co-created with POLIS. As automated mobility is increasingly present in urban mobility, this session dives into how governance can combine innovation, safety, accessibility, sustainability, and public trust. By analysing citizens' perceptions, potential risks and challenges, the session will provide inspiring insights on how Europe can shape automation to benefit cities and social cohesion.

Speakers:


Special Interest Session – Future urban mobility indicators: Data readiness and collaborative collection for new urban node requirements

📅 Wednesday, 29 April 2026
🕒 09:00 – 10:00
📍 Çamlica

In the context of the SUMP guidelines revision and the updated TEN-T Regulation, 431 designated urban nodes across Europe will soon be required to systematically monitor and submit data on a harmonized set of Urban Mobility Indicators (UMIs). The session is structured as a collaborative dialogues among policymakers, city networks, local governments, and industry, and will focus on how  the private sector and National Access Points can support cities in collecting and calculating these essential indicators.

Speakers:

  • Laura Babío, POLIS
  • Martina Ferrara Snider, ERTICO
  • Rodolfo Da Silva, KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence
  • Moderated by Thomas Lymes, Eurocities

Special Interest Session – CCAM readiness: Empowering cities, implementers and citizens

📅 Wednesday, 29 April 2026
🕒 10:30 – 11:30
📍 Emirgan 1

This session focuses on how cities and mobility stakeholders can assess and strengthen their preparedness for CCAM deployment. Drawing on the work of the CCAMbassador project, it will present the identified deployment building blocks alongside emerging approaches to assess readiness across stakeholder groups and shape targeted capacity-building actions. Contributions from the CulturalRoad and RESKILLING projects will add perspectives on stakeholder engagement and preparedness, societal aspects, and skills development.

Speakers:

  • Laura Babío, POLIS
  • Matthew Shelton, West Midlands Combined Authority
  • Carolin Zachäus, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
  • Ingrid Skogsmo, ECTRI
  • Moderated by Stephane Dreher, ERTICO

Side event – Joint NextETRUCK & ESCALATE zero-emission freight workshop

📅 Tuesday, 28 April 2026
🕒 9:00 – 13:15
📍 Room 3B22

The NextETRUCK and ESCALATE projects are hosting a joint side event dedicated to the decarbonisation of urban and long-haul freight transport. The event includes a side visit to the Istanbul pilot truck from Ford Otosan.


For more information

ITS European Congress 2026 will take place from 27 to 29 April 2026 at Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC), in Istanbul.

Registrations are now open! Discover the passes and secure your spot here.

If you are a POLIS member, head to the Members Area to take advantage of a special discount code.

To stay updated, visit the Congress website.