The International Transport Forum (ITF), together with the European Commission (EC), the European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (ECTRI), the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS), is pleased to announce that the ITF Annual Summit Research Sessions will take place as part of the official ITF 2023 Annual Summit programme on Transport Enabling Sustainable Economies, which will be held on 24-26 May 2023 in Leipzig, Germany.
The objective of the Summit Research Sessions is to bring together subject matter experts, researchers, and senior level professionals, as well as policymakers and strategists in order to discuss and inform decision-makers on issues relevant to the Summit’s themes, which is increasingly important given the current pace at which our transport systems are evolving. Researchers can inform policy decisions by helping those in power understand the increasing complexity of mobility systems, by raising awareness about the latest innovations that could be vital for a sustainable future, and by critically assessing the potential and the impact of current and future policies. The ITF Annual Summit Research Sessions therefore offer an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas.
Organisation of the ITF Summit
Three research sessions will be included in the main programme of the Summit with these standpoints also being brought to some of the other Summit panels:
- The three research sessions will promote exchanges between research experts, senior-level policymakers and strategists focused on themes relating to the Summit. Each session will include a senior-level policy official to participate in the discussion and interact with the audience
- Panel sessions will bring together transport ministers, industry leaders, and other representatives from diverse stakeholder groups on specific policy topics. Key researchers and policy experts will also participate in selected panels and offer insights on how research-based evidence can factor into policymaking
Submitting abstracts for the three research sessions
The 2023 ITF Summit on Transport Enabling Sustainable Economies will explore the role of transport as a vector for economic growth while supporting environmental and social sustainability. Depending on the abstracts received, it may also explore similar topics or questions linked to the following:
- How to promote inclusive transport access policies, especially for underserved communities
- How to foster economic growth and stability through transport systems that increase the connection between people and access to goods
- How to enhance safety and resilience, as well as sustain the environmental health of transport systems
- How to facilitate the design, funding, and implementation of more resilient sustainable transport networks
The Summit’s discussions will address both passenger and freight transport activities while providing a multimodal perspective. The Summit will also explore how authorities can balance short and long-term priorities as they plan for a sustainable future while preparing for increasing stresses to transport systems due to climate change, using knowledge and insight from researchers and other policy experts.
The Summit Research Sessions will therefore focus on the following three specific topics:
- Financing the transport systems’ adaptation to climate change to enhance their resilience and sustainability
- Ensuring that accessibility and road safety are planned into and funded in both urban and rural passenger transport
- Promoting (circular) transport systems as critical components of a circular economy
Therefore, we invite researchers and policy analysts/strategists to submit abstracts of up to 1000 words that address the theme of Transport Enabling Sustainable Economies, focusing on one of the three topics stated above. More information on these topics can be found in Annexe 1 of this announcement.
Abstracts must be submitted by Monday, 20 February 2023, 11 pm (GMT) via the following link.
