At the heart of this year’s ITS European Congress in the vibrant city of Seville, ERTICO’s members of Public Authorities & CEDR members (Conference of European Directors of Roads) organised a Collaborative Forum. It emerged as an important moment for a much-anticipated strategic dialogue.
Co-hosted by both organisations, the Forum brought together members to strengthen the ties. The dialogue was centred around the topic of digital road management and the role of ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems). Road authorities work to realise their shared vision for the digital transformation of Europe’s road networks.
The session opened with a series of keynote remarks from the leaders representing the two organisations: Joost Vantomme (CEO, ERTICO), Ronald Adams (Chair, ERTICO Public Authorities Sector), Dr Angelos Amditis (ERTICO Chairman), and Steve Phillips (Secretary-General, CEDR). Their addresses set a forward-looking and collaborative tone, highlighting the urgent need to bridge the gap between policy frameworks and practical implementation. They called for a more unified approach to digitalisation, where innovation is not only encouraged but also strategically aligned with public sector priorities.
A roundtable discussion on Digital Road Management
Moderated by Agne Vaitekenaite (Head of Partnership & Advocacy at ERTICO), the roundtable brought into focus the critical role of public authorities in shaping the future of mobility. Participants discussed how these authorities are uniquely positioned to set deployment priorities, drive targeted investments, and ensure the scalability of digital solutions. They also provided examples of the digital and automation components in their work, emphasising that investments in data, AI and more broadly, ITS is a win-win for the performance of physical infrastructure.
Participants further discussed the impact of legacies and ageing infrastructure. The consensus in the room was that investment in innovation must show benefit for the wider public. Existing resources and knowledge shared amongst the road and public authorities must be used optimally to speed up and scale up innovative solutions.
The session concluded with a forward-looking presentation on the National Moonshot initiative, delivered by Lidia Buenavida Peña (Project Manager, ERTICO). Deriving from the City Moonshot, this initiative aims to accelerate innovation by aligning national ambitions with European-scale deployment strategies. The new National Moonshot will contain elements and arguments for the CEDR community to consider the digital and ITS components in the upgrade of the physical infrastructure.
In their closing remarks, Joost Vantomme and Steve Phillips reiterated the importance of translating dialogue into tangible outcomes. They stressed the value of leveraging insights from initiatives to ensure that innovation efforts remain grounded in real-world needs and challenges.
Throughout the Forum, ERTICO reaffirmed its role as a convener and facilitator, committed to connecting stakeholders, aligning policy objectives, and raising awareness of the transformative potential of digital infrastructure. The consensus was clear: while dialogue is essential, it must evolve into sustained, cooperative action. Only through continued collaboration and shared commitment can Europe build a future-ready, digitally empowered road transport system.
