IT-TRANS has established itself as a leading global exhibition for the industry

This means that the third IT-TRANS more than doubled the number of visitors from 2010 while once again increasing the share of international guests, with one in two visitors coming from outside Germany. 150 exhibitors from 23 countries were there to present their latest products and technical developments at the exhibition. More than twice as much exhibition space was sold as at the previous event in 2010, which took place in the sold-out Karlsruhe Convention Center. Britta Wirtz, Managing Director of KMK: “It is clear that the move to the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center was the right one.”

IT-TRANS is a meeting place for decision-makers, managing directors, buyers and IT managers from public sector transport operators. “90 percent of them are involved in their companies’ investment decisions,” explains Britta Wirtz. “This means that Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH has succeeded in creating another top international event that showcases the strengths of the Karlsruhe technology region for an international audience.” IT-TRANS has developed into a leading global information and communication platform for IT solutions in public transport. “Within only four years, IT-TRANS has become an absolute must for all decision-makers in the public transport industry,” states Alain Flausch, General Secretary of the UITP. “IT-TRANS is helping us to achieve our goal of doubling the market share of public transport by making it a part of our daily lives.”

The significance of IT-TRANS for the industry was also underscored by the high-calibre lecture programme which UITP organised for this international conference. The focus was on IT solutions for public transport, including e-ticketing, electronic passenger information systems, near field communication, interoperable fare management and safety. One topic given particular attention by this conference was how public transport could be made into an attractive option for younger people, an age group in which the trend towards a “mobility mix” is particularly evident. The public transport of the future will be marked by the integration of different modes of transport, such as e-bikes, car sharing, trams, trains and individual transport.

The political importance of this event was clear right from the opening ceremony, where Dr. Veit Steinle, speaking on behalf of the event’s patron, German Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Development Dr. Peter Ramsauer, stated that “in a world where the volume of traffic and transport continues to increase, the significance of innovative technologies will continue to grow.” Siim Kallas, Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport, was also a patron of this event, and Max Strotmann, a member of his cabinet, spoke on his behalf: “We believe information and communication technology is the cornerstone of the development of our economy and society, and view more effective integrated transport systems as a key element in allowing people and companies to achieve the mobility they require.” During his visit to IT-TRANS, Baden-Württemberg’s Transport Minister, Winfried Hermann, observed that companies from Germany and the state of Baden-Württemberg have succeeded in exporting their technology and expertise around the globe, “but we have not yet managed to fully implement it here in Germany.”

One new feature of IT-TRANS 2012 was IT-TRANS TV. Here, brief interviews gave experts the opportunity to present their current topics concerning IT solutions in public transport. The content of IT-TRANS TV is available online at www.it-trans.org and on YouTube. IT-TRANS is a joint production of UITP and Karlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH which is supported by Europe’s leading national transport associations: VDV (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), ASSTRA (Italy) and UTP (France). The next IT-TRANS will be taking place at Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center between 18 and 20 February 2014. Half of the exhibition space booked for IT-TRANS 2012 has already been sold for 2014, and 85 percent of visitors intend to return.

IT-TRANS 2012 exhibitor statements:

“IT-TRANS is particularly important for us because virtually everyone here belongs to our target group,” states Dr. Wolf Heine, Systems and Marketing Manager for CUBIC. “This is a trade audience par excellence, and we are able to meet people from all over the world, be it Australia or Sweden.”

Trapeze Switzerland GmbH was able to establish contacts in China and Saudi Arabia. “As a company whose activities are concentrated in German-speaking Europe, IT-TRANS is the perfect place for us to meet potential customers from Asia and around the globe,” confirms Matthias Stahel, Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications at Trapeze.

“Due to the fact that we are based in the USA, IT-TRANS is our most effective means of reaching our customers in the European market,” states Terry Bills, Transportation Industry Manager for ESRI, a company whose geographic information systems are being used by more than 350,000 companies worldwide.

Kentkart, a Turkish company, has been coming to IT-TRANS ever since the event made its debut. Güliz Öztürk, Marketing Manager for Kentkart: “It is extremely important to us that we are on hand and taking part in the action, for this is the place where companies from around the globe get together to present their IT solutions for public transport.” Kentkart is currently focusing its efforts on entering new markets in South-eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America.

“IT-TRANS is a very important trade fair for us, as these three days allow us to meet decision-makers from transport associations and suppliers. We are extremely pleased with the discussions we have had,” explains Sjef Janssen, Managing Director of VDV Kernapplikations GmbH & Co. KG of Cologne, Germany.

ASSTRA, an Italian transport association, has a clear opinion on IT-TRANS: “It is, quite simply, the future.” According to Daniela Carbone, Manager of the Innovative Technology department, the event is a key driver in further improving public transport.