ERTICO’s Partner delegation visits China for the China – Europe ITS Summit

As part of ERTICO’s drive to foster international cooperation, a delegation of ERTICO Partners, composed of the City of Copenhagen, CTAG, Ford Otosan, GDDKiA Poland, Renault, SWARCO and the Volvo Group, participated in a four-day China-Europe summit in Beijing and Shanghai. The goal of the visit, hot on the heels of ERTICO’s highly successful visit to Kazan, Russia in March, was to explore and initiate new collaborative partnerships between ERTICO Partners in Europe and ITS industries in China.

This Summit was a great opportunity not only for group and one to one business meetings and seminars, but also for discussions with important institutions. For example a roundtable discussion was held in Beijing with the EU Delegation to China regarding research and development cooperation opportunities, and with the China ITS Industry Alliance that focused on the current situation and trends in ITS Development in China.

 ‘As part of our vision 2030, we are determined to share ERTICO’s ITS knowledge with other countries. Facilitating meetings for our partners in other countries is just one of the value added services that ERTICO can offer’ said Jacob Bangsgaard, CEO ERTICO.

Meetings were also held with China’s leading national membership based organisations for ITS, ITS China and the China ITS Industry Alliance, as well as with the Shanghai International Automobile City and the National Connected Vehicle Piolet Zone.

 “Thank you so much for a well-coordinated tour. I had a great week and was able to make some interesting contacts.”, Ulla Payreen Lüders, City of Copenhagen

 The first session of the China-Europe ITS Summit was held in Beijing and hosted by ITS China at the North China University of Technology, covering topics including the status and trends in ITS development in the People’s Republic and the development of traffic control technology and autonomous vehicle technology in the country. In addition, the European delegation had the opportunity to present their companies to industry and association leaders and to participate in facilitated business to business meetings with the members of ITS China.

Following the summit in Beijing, the Delegation  moved to Shanghai, where the Summit focused on topics such as vehicle electrification, including the relevant legal challenges worldwide; HD mapping and big data. Leading private companies as well as legal experts gave the delegation an overview of the innovative developments, issues around public acceptance and regulatory challenges.

“It has been a pleasure for me to join and participate in this summit. It was my first time in China and the trip surpassed all my expectations.”, Carlos Abellás Rosende, CTAG

The Delegation then joined the International Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Summit 2018, where ERTICO’s CEO Jacob Bangsgaard introduced ERTICO and the delegation to an audience of Chinese industry In this occasion, Jacob Bangsgaard focused on ERTICO’s vision 2030 for mobility, outlined the four areas of focus (Clean Mobility, Transport and Logistics, CAD and Urban Mobility), presented the priorities for 2018 and outlined ERTICO’s projects and platforms and international cooperation initiatives.

In both Beijing and Shanghai, the ERTICO delegation had the opportunity to participate in private  tours of the advanced traffic and electric vehicle control centres. In Beijing, the delegation visited the Beijing Transportation Operations Coordination Centre (TOCC) and was given a private tour of the facility, engaging later in a roundtable discussion with the TOCC’s senior management and the Beijing Institute of Transportation Development, focusing on developments in traffic management in China and Europe.

“To be able to see first-hand on the efforts and ambition they put into traffic management, electromobility and automated driving and all areas are impressive.”, Anders Bonander, Volvo Group

In Shanghai, the delegation visited the Shanghai Electric Vehicle Data Centre and the Shanghai Urban Comprehensive Transportation Planning Institute, following up with a roundtable discussion with Shanghai SEARI Intelligent Systems Co. Ltd and the Shanghai Intelligent Traffic Alliance. Partners discussed how common issues, including management of overweight vehicles, were dealt with in Shanghai and Europe, and forged potential collaboration opportunities.

The delegation’s visit to the Shanghai International Automobile City included a demonstration of autonomous parking technologies, as well as introductions by various cutting edge technology companies.

ERTICO’s Partnership visit to China was just the first step towards further fruitful cooperation. The second part of the Summit will take place alongside the ITS World Congress in Copenhagen in September 2018, when a delegation from Chinese partner organisations will come to Europe. ERTICO will host the final event, exclusively for ERTICO Partners and the visiting Chinese delegations, of the China – Europe ITS Summit 2018 on Wednesday 19 September.

The China – Europe ITS Summit was a joint initiative of ERTICO – ITS Europe, ITS China, the China ITS Industry Alliance, the Shanghai International Automobile City and the Chinese National Connected Vehicle Pilot Zone, and represented just the latest initiative of a long collaboration between the two parties.

ERTICO has been actively engaged in cooperation activities with China since the early 2000s; key cooperation initiatives have included SIMBA (an EU funded project aimed at strengthening road transport research cooperation between Europe and emerging national markets) and the ITS World Congress, held in Beijing in 2007.