Istanbul, Turkey
With its mission to promote and leverage the newest innovations in mobility, technology, and policy, the Intelligent Transport Systems Congress once again united everyone from newcomers to global leaders to explore and exchange how local innovations can drive a sustainable and connected transport future. Over three days, more than 120 companies and over 200 speakers contributed to a diverse program of demonstrations, exhibitions, and expert sessions, all centred around the question of how technology can support a more sustainable, connected, and user‑friendly mobility landscape.
GIANTS and the Shift2SDV project were represented by Dr. Christoph Pilz (Virtual Vehicle), who joined the session “The Future of Inclusive European Mobility: Software-defined, interoperable, and smart”. Together with the speakers Alican Yılmaz (Beemobs), Dr. Jörg Hetterich (BMW) and Görkem Türer (E‑Mobility Europe), and moderator Emin Aliyev (ZEV‑UP), the panel explored how digital tools can benefit the transition to zero‑emission mobility for all regions and communities.
A key point that emerged from the conversation was the role of digitalisation. The discussion emphasised how software‑defined vehicles, interoperable standards and seamless data exchange can lay the groundwork for mobility solutions that are both climate‑friendly and accessible to a broad population. The panel highlighted that these technologies are not only technical enablers but also key drivers for social and economic inclusion, especially when applied to affordable electric mobility at scale.
It was an honour to exchange perspectives during the panel discussion, reinforcing the importance of European‑level collaboration. By aligning approaches and sharing insights, we can accelerate the development of mobility systems that are inclusive by design.
We look back on an inspiring event full of forward‑looking ideas and valuable conversations and we are proud to contribute to shaping Europe’s mobility future.
Discover GIANTS in action and dive into the key moments from the ITS Congress: https://youtu.be/-E6oGUQ2_Xs?si=qxPYQF8loc2FzN7M
Christoph Pilz
Lead Researcher, Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH
What did you like most about participating in the ITS Congress?
I always appreciate the exchange between industry, research, and public stakeholders. The ITS Congress creates a valuable space to discuss technical innovations and align them with public needs in order to create solutions that can realistically be deployed and scaled to support sustainable and inclusive mobility.
What was a key takeaway from the Session?
The core concepts of GIANTS and its sister project ZEV-UP directly address the demands of modern society and the need to shift towards sustainable mobility solutions, especially in regions with high traffic density and a growing demand for small and lightweight vehicles. Additionally, it was great to see that the European SDV ecosystem appreciates the effort to create a modular and frugal counterpart to highly centralised SDV approaches.