From 27 to 29 April 2026, TM 2.0 was present at the 17th ITS European Congress in Istanbul, joining the wider ITS community under the Congress theme “Bridging Innovation: Integrated, safe and seamless mobility.” The event brought together more than 2,700 participants from 54 countries, with over 140 exhibitors, 115 sessions, and more than 400 speakers, creating a strong platform for exchange between public authorities, industry, research organisations, and mobility innovators.
Throughout the three-day event, the ERTICO – ITS Europe booth served as an important meeting point for partners, stakeholders, public authorities, industry representatives, and the wider ITS community. For TM 2.0, the booth provided a valuable opportunity to present the platform’s mission, engage with existing and potential members, and highlight the role of interactive traffic management in the future of connected, cooperative, and data-driven mobility. As an ERTICO Innovation Platform, TM 2.0 brings together public and private stakeholders to advance the seamless exchange of data between vehicles and traffic management systems, supporting safer, more efficient, and more coordinated mobility services.
Throughout the Congress, TM 2.0 was present not only as a platform but as a voice in some of the most timely discussions contributing to the future of traffic and mobility management. From artificial intelligence and regulation to C-ITS deployment, interoperability, and operational resilience, the platform’s core priorities were strongly reflected across the programme.
A central theme of TM 2.0’s presence in Istanbul was the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in mobility and traffic management. This was strongly reflected in SIS 13, “AI for mobility management: The why, how and what,” which addressed one of the most pressing questions facing the sector today: how to move beyond the AI buzzword and identify where AI can create real operational value. The session brought together experts from the European Commission, ERTICO – ITS EUROPE, academia, industry and consultancy to explore why AI matters, how it works and what it can realistically enable in mobility management.
Within this context, Tamara Djukic from ERTICO – ITS Europe presented the TM 2.0 platform, connecting its mission with the practical adoption of AI in traffic management. TM 2.0 was presented as a platform that can help bridge technological innovation and operational implementation, particularly where AI depends on trusted data exchange, cooperation between stakeholders, and clear interaction between vehicles and traffic management systems. The discussion made clear that AI is no longer only a future-facing concept for ITS. It is increasingly becoming part of operational practice, supporting network-wide forecasting, faster decision-making, more resilient operations, and better responses when data is incomplete or fragmented. However, the most convincing examples did not present AI as a replacement for traffic engineering expertise. Instead, they showed AI as an additional layer of intelligence that builds on established systems, solid data, and operational knowledge.
At the same time, the session highlighted that “AI” is still used as an umbrella term for very different technologies and approaches, from classic algorithms, data fusion and optimisation to machine learning, foundation models, large language models and emerging agentic systems. This can create inflated expectations and make it harder for road authorities and public decision-makers to assess what is genuinely new, useful, and deployable. A key message was that maturity is not measured by claiming to use AI everywhere, but by knowing where AI adds value and where simpler, more transparent solutions may work better.
The discussion was further enriched by Carolien Mazal, from TomTom and Lead of the TM 2.0 AI Task Force, who moderated SIS 13: “AI for mobility management: The why, how and what.” She guided the debate beyond the general excitement around AI and towards a more practical understanding of how it can support real mobility management operations. Drawing on the session discussions and wider Congress exchanges, Carolien highlighted that AI is increasingly becoming part of everyday ITS practice, supporting areas such as network-wide forecasting, faster decision-making, and improved resilience when data is incomplete. At the same time, she underlined the importance of using AI with realism and purpose, noting that the most effective solutions build on strong traffic engineering logic, reliable data, governance, and operational needs, rather than adopting AI simply for the sake of innovation.
TM 2.0 was also reflected in the regulatory debate through Dr Johanna Tzanidaki from SAE, who moderated SIS 47: “To AI or not to AI” and mentioned the platform during the session. This session focused on the impact of the European AI Act on traffic management, particularly the classification of AI systems used in the management and operation of critical infrastructure as high-risk applications. The session examined whether the additional administrative and regulatory requirements introduced by the AI Act are justified for AI applications in traffic management. This is an important discussion for the TM 2.0 community, as traffic management increasingly depends on digital infrastructure, automated decision-making, data sharing and cooperation between public and private stakeholders.
The debate underlined the need for a balanced regulatory approach. Safety, accountability and public trust must remain central, but regulation should not unnecessarily limit innovation or reduce Europe’s competitiveness in intelligent transport systems. The connection with TM 2.0 lies in the platform’s focus on trusted cooperation, data exchange and the interaction between vehicles and traffic management systems. As traffic management becomes increasingly data-driven and AI-supported, questions of governance, transparency, accountability and proportional regulation become central to the platform’s mission. In this context, TM 2.0 provides a relevant stakeholder space for discussing how innovation in traffic management can progress while maintaining safety, public trust and regulatory clarity.
TM 2.0 was also connected to the Congress programme through the technical paper session TP 20, “Large-scale C-ITS deployment for safer urban mobility,” where Roman Srp from ITS&S presented “C-ITS deployment in Brno, the Czech Republic – Experience & lessons learned.” The topic is strongly connected with TM 2.0 priorities, including C-ITS deployment, resilient traffic management, open interfaces, interoperability, standardisation, 5G, and the growing interaction between AI and traffic management.
The overall message from Istanbul is that AI is maturing in ITS and mobility management, but it is not a silver bullet. Real progress will come from using the right level of intelligence, in the right place, for the right problems. For TM 2.0, this means continuing to support practical collaboration, realistic deployment pathways and trusted dialogue between the stakeholders shaping Europe’s traffic management future.
