Plenary Sessions

Plenary sessions are a cornerstone of the High-Level Programme at the 16th ITS European Congress, offering in-depth exploration of strategic and impactful advancements within the ITS and mobility sectors. These sessions bring together influential panelists and keynote speakers, fostering a collaborative environment where experts from across the ITS ecosystem engage in thought-provoking discussions on key Congress themes.

At the 2025 ITS European Congress in Seville, three dynamic plenary topics will bring to life the overarching theme of “Clean, Resilient, and Connected Mobility,” spotlighting innovative approaches and transformative ideas aimed at shaping the future of intelligent transport.

Plenary 1: The Green Shift - Accelerating a Sustainable Future through ITS

Date & Time: 19 May 2025, 15:15 -16:15

This plenary will delve into how ITS can accelerate the transition to a more sustainable society,  spotlighting  Europe’s  embrace  of  green mobility through technology and human-centred solutions.

The discussion will include urban space management through technology innovation, e.g., advanced kerbside management, last-mile logistics, smart charging integration, and Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVAR). Speakers will assess the role of technologies like digital twins and artificial intelligence in measuring and reducing transport’s environmental footprint.  

Focussing on ways to build a green mobility future that is inclusive and competitive, panellists will examine the intersection of transport with the green economy (including funding models), human factors such as community engagement and equitable access, and behavioural shifts necessary to adopt Clean Transport Technologies, such as increased public transport use, support for active mobility and micromobility, and demand responsive transport.  

The goal of this session will be to capitalise on Europe’s early adoption of green transport solutions and build on its leading role in sustainable urban planning and eco-friendly mobility systems. 

Keynote Speaker
Moderator

Virginijus Sinkevicius

MEP, European Parliament

Karen Vancluysen

Secretary General, POLIS Network

Speakers

Maria Corral

Deputy Director General, Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility

Belén Linares

Director R&D, Innovation, MOEVE formally CEPSA

Adam Wieczorek

Deputy Mayor, City of Łódź

Plenary 2: Resilient by Design - Shaping a Competitive Mobility Value Chain

Date & Time: 20 May 2025, 9:00 -10:00

This plenary will address the urgent need for resilience in Europe’s mobility and logistics ecosystems to withstand environmental, technological, and geopolitical uncertainties. Leading actors across various sectors will discuss strengthening transport infrastructure design and usage to counteract negative externalities, improve system reliability, and enhance sustainability. 

Key elements of the discussion will include fostering cross-sector cooperation to mitigate climate impacts, secure supply chains, and advance flexible, multimodal transport systems that reduce dependencies on single modes, and boost competitiveness across the mobility ecosystem.  

Safeguarding data availability and accessibility is an indispensable condition for robust services for goods and people. This necessitates the incorporation of cybersecurity throughout the eco-system. 

Panellists will address the role of digital infrastructure elements, such as data management, redundancy, and connectivity, in creating resilient, future-ready mobility solutions. By leveraging collaborative strategies, emerging technologies, and adaptive infrastructure, this plenary aims to outline a forward-thinking framework that will position Europe’s mobility sector to thrive in an evolving and often unpredictable global landscape. 

Keynote Speaker
Moderator

Herald Ruijters

Deputy Director General, European Commission DG MOVE

Dr Steven Dellenback

Vice President R&D – Intelligent Systems Division Southwest Research Institute

Speakers

Laura Eiro

Director General of the Data, Safety and Security Department, Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications

Marco Falcone

Head of Future Navigation Programmes Department, European Space Agency

Elena Fernandez

Deputy Director for International affairs & ESG and Chairwoman of the PostEurop Board of Directors, Correos

Mario Muñoz Atanet

Deputy Minister of Development, Infrastructure, and Territorial Planning, Regional Government of Andalucia

Plenary 3: Towards Leadership in CCAM and Automated Driving Technologies

Date & Time: 21 May 2025, 9:00 -10:00

This plenary will focus on strategies to foster innovation and accelerate market adoption of connected and automated mobility solutions, targeting societal and environmental goals in the face of global competition. Technical priorities include improving sensor accuracy, refining decision-making algorithms, and enhancing AI-driven real-time data processing.  

Collaboration across stakeholders – industry leaders, policymakers, public authorities, and tech experts – is essential to advance these innovations. Harmonization standards, critical for interoperability and cross-border cooperation, and emerging trends considered transformative in automotive technology, such as software-defined vehicles (SDVs), will form the basis of the discussion.  

The panel will also address key issues around the integration of connected vehicles with smart city infrastructure and traffic systems, with an emphasis on a safe systems approach to build public trust in automated mobility solutions. This comprehensive discussion, which aims to chart a path for Europe’s leadership in connected and automated mobility, will also cover the urgent need to reskill the workforce to align talent with the sector’s evolving demands.

Keynote Speaker
Moderator

Jim Misener

Global V2X Lead, Qualcomm

Steve Phillips

Secretary-General, CEDR, Belgium

Speakers

Ana Blanco

Deputy Assistant Director in Public Administration, Spanish Directorate General of Traffic

Jordi Casas

Coordinator of the Mobility Institute, RACC Mobility Club

Francisco Sanchez Pons

Electronics, ITS & Smart Mobility Director, CTAG

ITSWC Dubai Webinar 1:
Decarbonising Urban Mobility

Join us for our webinar on Decarbonising Urban Mobility on Wednesday 27 March, 14:00-15:00 CET, bringing together industry representatives, policymakers and public authorities driving implementation.