The Schedule

Opening remarks

Mauro Salazar, Raphael Stern, Maria Laura Delle Monache

IEEE T-ITS Beyond Silos: Challenges and Opportunities for our Flagship Journal

Simona Sacone

Meta-modeling uncertain transport futures through robust AI models – results from the APEX project.

Miguel Costa

Abstract - Policy-making requires comparing multiple scenarios involving many variables and uncertainties, assessing trade-offs between economic, environmental and social factors. To make informed decisions, policymakers often rely on data from simulators, to frame the impacts of choices on a set of possible futures. These simulations, though, can be computationally intensive and run over the course of days, if not weeks. This problem can become an insurmountable barrier in evaluating the effects of disruptive weather events on transport infrastructure, which requires long-term planning and the comparison of different policy trajectories on a large scale. We argue that, to solve this problem, the generalizing power of simulators should be coupled with the computational efficiency of machine learning solutions. The APEX project focuses on coupling simulators and non-parametric approaches, to enhance their respective strengths and increase the amount of scenarios that can inform policy-making, while reducing uncertainties. In this presentation, we report the project’s results focusing on a transportation case study and a disruptive scenario such as large-scale flooding.

Why Autonomous Driving Is Not an Engineering Problem

Ana Alanis & Max Dorna

Abstract - Autonomous driving is often perceived as one of the greatest engineering challenges of our time. While significant technological progress has been made, experience shows that technical excellence alone does not lead to successful deployment or societal impact. In this presentation, we argue that autonomous driving is no longer primarily an engineering problem—it is an implementation challenge.

Using the Brainport region as a case study, we present the pathway from scientific innovation to real-world impact. We will illustrate how Brainport is actively progressing through these stages with initiatives such as the Brainportlijn, an ambitious vision to test and implement autonomous mobility in a regional context. At the same time, these initiatives reveal the critical barriers that remain beyond technology.

The presentation will focus on the societal, governmental, and legislative dimensions that determine whether autonomous mobility can be successfully integrated into everyday life. Public acceptance, governance, regulatory frameworks, institutional collaboration, and long-term investment strategies are just as important as advances in perception algorithms or vehicle control. We will also highlight how the Beethoven programme, through substantial investments in physical infrastructure, provides an essential foundation for future mobility systems, while emphasizing that infrastructure investments must be complemented by policy, regulation, and societal readiness.

By sharing lessons from the Brainport ecosystem, this talk demonstrates that innovation only creates value when technological development is accompanied by the right governance, stakeholder collaboration, and implementation strategy. Autonomous driving is therefore not simply an engineering challenge; it is a multidisciplinary societal transition that requires technology, policy, infrastructure, and public acceptance to advance together.

Transport Justice: Designing Fair Transportation Systems

Karel Martens

Concluding panel

All the speakers