ITS Australia has upgraded next year’s Summit to meet a global audience: ITS professionals from around the world are invited to attend what will now be a four-day Global Summit to be held on 28-31 August, 2023 in Melbourne.
Speakers from Asia, Europe and the US have already been locked in and abstract submissions are open. ITS Australia has secured the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) for the venue.
It’s full steam ahead and knowing ITS Australia’s meticulous eye for detail, as those of us lucky enough to experience first hand at the World Congress in 2016, it promises to be the event of 2023.
What will you find at the Global Summit 2023?
The Global Summit will explore approaches to accelerating smarter, safer, and more sustainable transport by leveraging the ever-expanding capabilities of technology.
There will also be plenary and technical sessions, as well as tours and demonstrations of world-leading initiatives, access to live-sites, sampling connectivity in action and behind the scenes access to key transport hubs.
Throw in an industry exhibition with leading ITS brands demonstrating the latest in mobility technology and, of course, functions and a vibrant social networking scene that Australians are famous for, and you have all the necessary ingredients for next year’s must-attend event.
“Our Summit is always a big event in the ITS calendar, but when we were at the Los Angeles World Congress, many delegates challenged us to enlarge the event and take it to the next level. We were touched by how many people said they had fond memories of the 2016 World Congress and that they wanted to visit Australia again,” ITS Australia president Dean Zabrieszach said.
“That’s why our next large-scale event will be super-sized and host a global audience with the ‘who’s who’ of our industry, from all jurisdictions, meeting in person. They will see the latest industry developments Down Under and enjoy the best of what Australia has to offer."
Why should you visit Australia?
“The event will complement the hybrid ITS World Congress in China later that year, Zabrieszach insists, which means "delegates will get a full and fascinating, all-round insight into what’s happening in this region".
“The timing could not be better because this is an exciting time to revisit Australia," he continues. "The country is in the middle of a once-in-a-generation mobility boom with world-scale road and rail infrastructure projects either underway, planned or already delivered across its states and territories."
This will be the first global ITS event in Australia since the Melbourne ITS World Congress, which is still talked about in industry circles as one of the most successful.
Then, more than 11,500 industry, government, academic and industry professionals flocked to the city to experience five days of high quality exhibitions, technical tours, keynotes and seminars.
Delegates to the Global Summit can expect the same top level of speakers, demonstrations, access to technology and networking.
One thing visitors will notice is the expansion of the venue. For those who were at the MCEC for the World Congress they will remember its impressive size and location on the banks of the Yarra River, just a short walk to Melbourne’s arts, theatre and sporting precincts. And that’s before we mention the famous laneways and side streets to spill out into for coffee, lunch or dinner.
Well today, thanks to a huge expansion completed in 2018, the MCEC is the largest convention and exhibition of its kind in Australia. This means there is even more space to host the Global Summit, and ITS Australia believes a Global Summit event of this scale, with keynotes, exhibitions, workshops, presentations and networking events, will need a big venue such as the MCEC.
Mix of future thinking and hear-and-now
The programme has been carefully considered. Designed by industry for industry with valuable input from the leaders on the international advisory committee, it is a genuine mix of future thinking and practical, here and now, initiatives.
ITS Australia CEO Susan Harris says that Australia has world-leading skills in the management and funding of major infrastructure projects through public/private partnerships. Delegates to Global Summit 2023 will gain significant insights to key projects by meeting consortium leaders, visiting sites, going on technical tours and attending industry briefings.
“All states and territories in Australia are conducting integrated connectivity trials," Harris says. " These are significant not just for the local ITS industry but also for the Asia-Pacific region and internationally."
“Delegates at the Global Summit 2023 will get hands-on, practical exposure to transport technology developments and implementations. Australia is proactively pursuing a number of world-leading programmes. As Australia's largest single gathering of private companies, government agencies, and academic institutions dedicated to the research, development, and deployment of ITS technologies in Australia, we look forward to introducing world ITS leaders to their Australian counterparts and to updating them on these ground-breaking initiatives,” she added.
Close look at some big ITS projects
Already home to the largest urban tram network in the world, Australia’s largest port and one of the world’s busiest airline routes (Melbourne to Sydney), Melbourne leads a number of significant connectivity, big data, transport and infrastructure project which delegates will have access to:
o The North East Link (NEL) with associate tolling infrastructure being delivered by the State Tolling Corporation. NEL is the largest investment in a road project in Victoria’s history and will complete the missing link in Melbourne’s orbital freeway between an upgraded Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road.
o Transurban’s Westgate Tunnel Projects. The West Gate Tunnel will be a 17 kilometre road connecting Melbourne’s west with the central city. The tunnel will serve as a vital alternative to the city’s heavily congested West Gate Bridge. Once completed, this new road, including 6.8 kilometres of tunnel, will improve connections between Melbourne’s west, the city centre, and Melbourne’s major ports.
o The Metro Rail Tunnel is a city shaping rail project that will untangle the City Loop so more trains can run more often across Melbourne. Digging for the twin 9km tunnels is completed and construction is underway on five new stations. Testing has commenced on the new High Capacity Signalling system that will enable turn-up-and-go services. The Metro Tunnel will open in 2025, a year ahead of schedule.
o Level Crossing removals. The removal of 110 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne will be completed by 2030, the largest project of its kind in Victoria's history. A total of 67 level crossings have been removed so far improving safety, easing congestion and enhancing urban connectedness in key precincts.
o Melbourne Airport Rail will connect Melbourne Airport to Victoria’s regional and metropolitan train network.
Delegates who were at the recent World Congress in Los Angeles will recall the crowning of Lexus Australia into the ITS Hall of Fame.
A visit to the Global Summit next year will enable attendees to learn more about how this innovative technology, installed in two specially equipped Lexus RX 450h hybrid SUVs, communicate with each other and roadside infrastructure in Ipswich, in south-east Queensland. The two-year Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) trial in conjunction with the Queensland Government’s Transport and Main Roads has been a huge success.
'Get yourself an early Christmas present'
Another example of technology on the ground will be AIMES (Australian Integrated Multimodal EcoSystem). This world-first integrated transport and technology project runs in real time from the streets of Melbourne. The integrated network covers six square kilometres of inner-city space and is a collaboration of more than 50 local and global partners and government bodies.
AIMES not only considers the movements of the public transport network, but all aspects of the transport system, such as vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and drivers using Bluetooth, to sensors placed on buses, trams and trains, to environmental sensors recording pollution and noise in different areas.
“Give yourself an early Christmas present, and book your travel to the Global Summit 2023 today,” said Harris.
“We have the programme, the venue, the ITS projects and the city and country to make this an exceptional event. We call on the international community to commit to coming. We are calling for abstracts and will be offering early bird discounts. We are also offering opportunities for our cohort of NextGens and this event will support student profiling and engagement."
"Current students are encouraged to submit a paper to be eligible for a 50% student discount. With a vibrant and active research community, we look forward to showcasing the rich landscape of student projects and research,” Harris concluded.
For a more details about Global Summit 2023, including details and timelines for speakers, attendees, sponsors and exhibitors, please visit www.itsaustralia.com.au
For more information about some of the current infrastructure projects in Melbourne, featured in this article, visit www.bigbuild.vic.gov.au
Global Summit: Breakout Box
ITS Australia Global Summit 2023 Programme Streams:
Smart Infrastructure and Data Ecosystems exploring how the built environment and transport networks are prepared for the future.
Sustainable and Equitable Transport asks how we are managing equitable service delivery to our cities and regions, ensuring the equitable application and availability of technology to customers.
Electric, Connected and Autonomous understand the operation environGGment, the ecosystem, and the implication to urban mobility of CAV trials in Australia and around the world.
Future Mobility solutions is one of the fastest growing sectors in the ITS industry and a key contributor to smart transport and the liveability of our cities, suburbs, and regional communities.
Policy and Harmonisation will consider how our transport networks can be safe and secure from physical and digital threats.
Freight, Logistics and Drone industries are moving into a new era marked by increasing automation, intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and multi-modality.
