The call is open. The deadline is January 22, 2027. If you work anywhere near transportation technology, you now have a clear target for your next big project. The ITS World Congress in Birmingham that October is not just another conference. It is the global stage for intelligent transport systems. Your work could land on it.
The organizers have structured the call with clear intent. They want the practical and the visionary. They want the proven and the promising. This dual track reflects where the entire sector stands right now. We know what needs building. The question is how we build it reliably and at a scale that actually changes how cities and goods move.
You can submit a detailed technical paper about a real-world deployment. You can propose a special session to debate a pressing policy challenge. You can share early-stage research for peer review. Or in a new format for 2027, you can present a poster. This lower-barrier option is smart. It invites startups, students, and project teams to bring their prototypes and pilot results into the conversation visually. It acknowledges that innovation often starts messy before the final report is written.
The four main themes frame the entire event. They read like the industry’s current to-do list:
- Trustworthy systems: grappling with cybersecurity and data sharing in an interconnected network
- Next generation ITS: applying AI, quantum computing and digital twins beyond the lab
- Connected services: cracking multimodal integration and linking transport to energy grids
- Deploying at scale: governance, funding, and user adoption that separates a flashy demo from a city-wide solution
But the real action might be outside the conference rooms. The call for demonstrations is equally open. If you have built something tangible, you can apply to show it live. There will be indoor and outdoor test areas right next to the main exhibition. Andy Graham, who chairs the Technical Advisory Group, frames it as a unique business opportunity. He told event organizers that a live demo lets people experience your technology firsthand. They can talk to your team. They can immediately see its potential for their own roads or customers.
This is a calculated move. A demonstration makes abstract technology concrete. It turns specs into an experience. For a sales team, that shared experience becomes a powerful reference point for every conversation that follows. Jordan Cowley from Transport for West Midlands, the local host, notes it consolidates business development. You can demonstrate performance, get user feedback, identify partners and start talks about trials all in one place.
The commercial stakes are explicit. Graham points to the enormous opportunity. In one morning, you might show your solution to a potential buyer from Asia and a future delivery partner from North America. For a company aiming for global growth, this concentration of decision-makers is invaluable.
There is a personal calculus here too. Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO, highlights what presenting means for an individual’s profile. It builds international credibility. It expands your professional network. It signals that your thinking contributes to a critical global dialogue.
Your submission will be reviewed by qualified experts. The final selection rests with an International Programme Committee. If accepted, you get guidance on preparing your session. You also get a reduced registration fee. The implied value is clear. Participation is a credential. It places you and your organization at the center of the ITS ecosystem.
The broader context matters. This congress is a collaboration between ERTICO, ITS America and ITS Asia-Pacific, with the European Commission involved. It is hosted by the West Midlands Combined Authority. This patchwork of sponsors and hosts tells its own story. Intelligent transport is no longer a niche interest. It is a planetary imperative that requires alignment across continents, sectors and levels of government.
So look at your work. Look at that January deadline. The path to Birmingham is now defined. They are asking for your best ideas, your most resilient systems and your most convincing demonstrations. They are asking you to help solve the practical puzzle of scaling this technology to meet the world’s needs. Your response will shape what happens on that stage and far beyond it.
