TM 2.0 at the ITS World Congress in Dubai: Shaping the future of traffic management

TM 2.0 was thrilled to participate in the ITS World Congress 2024, held from 16 to 20 September in Dubai. This prestigious event brought together leading experts and decision-makers in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to explore the latest advancements and developments in mobility, technology, and innovation. Organised by ERTICO, the Congress featured 170 sessions across five days, covering diverse topics such as automated, urban, and clean mobility. For TM 2.0, the event was an excellent opportunity to present its vision for advanced interactive traffic management, engage with a global audience of experts, and foster meaningful collaborations. Notably, Carolien Mazal’s session, which would later win the Best Rated Session Award, highlighted the innovative potential of AI in mobility.

TM 2.0’s work was highlighted in several Special Interest Sessions (SIS), including in SIS 43 on “AI and Traffic management: How risky and what action?” on Tuesday 17 September. Organised by Dr Johanna Tzanidaki, this session featured key traffic management experts, includng Nicolas Talp (Be-Mobile), Jørgen Wanscher (Hermes Traffic Intelligence), and Richard Easly (E-Squared Engineering). The discussions offered insights on the EU AI Act, exploring AI’s role in traffic management. Carolien Mazal (TomTom) introduced TM 2.0 in her presentation and gave an overview of TM 2.0’s Position Paper on the AI Act. While the AI Act categorises the “management and operation of road traffic” as a High-Risk system, the TM 2.0 community argues for a risk assessment based on criticality of AI use in specific stages of the decision-making chain in traffic management. At present, AI in traffic management largely plays an advisory role by improving monitoring and planning capacities. TM 2.0 asserts that only AI systems triggering automated changes to the road infrastructure in real-time without human intervention and with an unlimited set of possible outcomes in the functional space should be labelled as High-Risk. Carolien Mazal concluded that the AI Act High-Risk Implementation Guidelines for the traffic management sector should be developed together with all sector stakeholders.

In another session, SIS 66 “Advanced insight in trust aspects of mobility data”, TM 2.0 was presented as part of the discussion on how to ensure trusted, authenticated and qualified data exchange among mobility providers and users – a core principle of TM 2.0. In his presentation focusing on “Mapping the Dots: A Path to Seamless Connectivity” and the TN-ITS ERTICO multi-stakeholder innovation platform, Frank Daems (ERTICO), highlighted the TM 2.0 levels of cooperation between traffic managers and service providers to facilitate the exchange of quality data and improve the entire value chain. The session also addressed the RTTI Delegated Regulation and the need to build trust in mobility data, featuring experts such as George Christou (ERTICO), Suku Phull (Department for Transport), and Matthias Unbehaun (TISA).

TM 2.0 Co-Chair Coen Bresser (ERTICO) also delivered a comprehensive presentation of TM 2.0 at the ERTICO stand in the exhibition area. His presentation highlighted TM 2.0’s vision for advanced traffic management and provided insights into the work carried out by our ongoing Tasks Forces. Coen Bresser also discussed the TM 2.0 Position Paper on the AI Act, stressing the importance of this document for TM 2.0.

The Congress concluded with a remarkable achievement as Carolien Mazal received the Best Rated Session Award for the session she organised, SFS 6 “How AI Could Reshape the Future of Mobility – entering the Dragon’s Den”, during the Closing Ceremony. The dynamic session brought together leading voices in the sector including Stephanie Leonard (TomTom), Jørgen Wanscher (Hermes Traffic Intelligence), Martin Russ (AustriaTech), Diana Willert (Yunex Traffic), Mohammed Hikmet (HMI Technologies / Ohmio), and Selika Talbott (Autonomous Vehicle Consulting). Together, they explored the potential of AI to revolutionise mobility while addressing potential risks. In a lively format inspired by the TV series the Dragon’s Den, the speakers discussed innovative AI applications and the global regulatory challenges of AI, with a special focus on the EU AI Act and the need for a responsible, worldwide legal framework.

Our presence at the ITS World Congress 2024 reinforced our commitment to improving urban mobility through enhanced traffic management, fostering safer and more efficient mobility solutions for all.