The ITS European Congress 2026 takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, from 27 to 29 April 2026, bringing together leading researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers from across Europe and beyond to explore the latest developments in intelligent transport systems (ITS). This year, the I-SENSE research group of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) is represented with an outstanding number of contributions.
Across three days, ICCS researchers will participate in 11 distinct sessions — spanning seven Special Interest Sessions (SIS), three Technical Papers (TP), and one Co-created (CC) session organised under ITS Hellas. The contributions reflect the group’s wide-ranging expertise, from connected and automated mobility (CCAM) and road safety to 6G connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), and logistics.
Session Highlights
Safety and Resilience through Intelligent Systems
The I-SENSE group brings its strongest presence to the congress’s safety agenda, with five sessions and one technical paper covering topics such as hybrid intelligence, AI-driven situational awareness, next-generation connectivity, road data intelligence, and network resilience.
On the congress’s second day, SIS15 on ‘The Path to 6G: Bridging Next-Generation Connectivity for Safe and Seamless Mobility’, organised by ERTICO, ICCS will be represented by two complementary SNS JU projects: ENVELOPE, which explores network exposure for connected and automated mobility, and 6G-VERSUS, focusing on vertical trials for sustainability. Konstantinos Katsaros and Vasilis Sourlas will present on behalf of each project respectively. (Tuesday, 28 April | 09:00–10:00 | YILDIZ 1)
Later that day, SIS27 on ‘Human-centric approaches for safer and more resilient CCAM’, organised by ICCS in the framework of the HIDDEN project, will bring together experts from the CCAM partnership’s EU initiatives to explore how connected and automated transport systems can be made safer, more resilient, and more trustworthy. Our research group’s technical director, Giannis Karaseitanidis, will moderate the session, while our Evangelia Portouli will guide participants through key findings from HIDDEN’s work so far — focusing on hybrid intelligence approaches that help automated vehicles detect occluded objects and anticipate road users’ movements. (Tuesday, 28 April | 11:45–12:45 | MAÇKA)
Complementing this, SIS56 on ‘AI-based tools for situational awareness and traffic safety in Europe‘, organised by HIDDEN partner SAE Europe, will explore how AI and collective perception can enhance situational awareness in CCAM environments. Vasilis Sourlas will present on behalf of ICCS and HIDDEN. (Wednesday, 29 April | 10:30–11:30 | MAÇKA)
SIS59 on ‘Virtual vs real: Harmonizing safety validation for automated vehicles‘, developed under the CERTAIN project, addresses a central challenge in automated vehicle deployment: how to harmonise virtual and real-world safety validation methodologies. Evangelia Portouli will present our work in the project, focusing on state-of-the-art frameworks for testing and safety argumentation of V2X-based CCAM systems. (Wednesday, 29 April | 11:45–12:45 | YILDIZ 1)
SIS60 on ‘Data-Driven Road Intelligence: Redefining Safety and Asset Management in Urban and Rural Networks’ brings together insights and lessons learned from three European projects — EvoRoads, iDriving, and CAMBER — exploring what makes safety-oriented ITS solutions decision-ready and transferable at scale. Anna Antonakopoulou will present on behalf of ICCS, with a focus on the operational and institutional conditions that drive long-term policy uptake. (Wednesday, 29 April | 11:45–12:45 | ÇAMLICA)
Finally, a technical paper on ‘SecureFood intelligent systems for emergency prediction and resilient response in interdependent food and transport networks‘, presented in the ‘Safe, Efficient and Resilient Networks across Urban, Rail and Motorway Systems’ TP15 track, is co-authored by Sofia Kokonezi, Angelos Amditis, Giannis Kanellopoulos, and colleagues. Giannis Kanellopoulos will present on behalf of the team. (Wednesday, 29 April | 10:30–11:30 | BEYLERBEYI 2)
Multimodal Mobility System Management
I-SENSE group’s researchers will also contribute to the Congress’s multimodal mobility theme through two sessions and a technical paper.
The week opens with the presentation of the paper ‘A Data-Driven and Ontology-Ready Framework for Inclusive CCAM User Personas’, presented in the TP1 ‘Demand Management, Behaviour Change and Inclusive Mobility’ track, introduces a data-driven and ontology-ready framework for developing inclusive CCAM user personas. The paper is co-authored by Konstantinos Fokeas, Lazaros Giannakos, Anna Antonakopoulou, Vasilis Sourlas, and Angelos Amditis, drawing on work from the SINFONICA and Roads4All projects. (Monday, 27 April | 14:00–15:00 | BEYLERBEYI 2)
The next day, SIS42 on ‘Advancing Next-Generation Multimodal Traffic Management’, organised by the Multimodal Traffic Management Cluster, features Giannis Kanellopoulos representing ICCS and the DELPHI project. The session draws on work from three EU-funded projects — ACUMEN, SYNCHROMODE, and DELPHI — structured around three thematic pillars: integrating AI tools in multimodal traffic management, harmonising passenger and freight networks, and ensuring network adaptability and resilience under disruption. AI, predictive analytics, and digital twins serve as horizontal enablers across all three. (Tuesday, 28 April | 16:45–17:45 | BEYLERBEYI 1)
The theme continues on Wednesday with SIS51 on ‘Rethinking Urban Mobility: Inclusive Solutions from Co-creation to Deployment in Europe‘, organised by ICCS under the ELABORATOR project and moderated by Evangelia Latsa, addresses how European cities can redesign their mobility systems to meet climate neutrality targets while ensuring equality and safety for all users. The session will explore mobility justice, gender-inclusive design, and the management of dense traffic areas with high volumes of vulnerable road users — bringing together innovative approaches that combine technology, policy, multimodal planning, and citizen engagement. (Wednesday, 29 April | 09:00–10:00 | EMIRGAN 2)
Smart and Sustainable Logistics in the Digital Era
The group’s logistics presence extends further with SIS22 on ‘Decarbonising Inland & Rail Logistics with Automation’, with Giannis Kanellopoulos of ICCS representing the IKIGAI project. Decarbonising freight transport sits at the heart of Europe’s climate ambitions, yet the transition to greener modes such as inland waterways and rail continues to face persistent obstacles, from fragmented digitalisation and limited interoperability to the high costs of modernisation. This session will explore how advances in automation, data-driven optimisation, and digital governance can transform inland and rail freight into the backbone of sustainable supply chains. Innovations such as automated handling systems, digital twins, real-time monitoring, and smart governance frameworks will take centre stage, highlighting how technology and policy together can unlock new levels of efficiency, resilience, and decarbonisation. Featuring contributors from the latest European projects — Keystone, Hologistics, and IKIGAI — the session will also provide exclusive insights into ongoing pilots and cutting-edge developments. (Tuesday, 28 April | 10:30–11:30 | HAMIDYE)
Furthermore, in TP12, the paper ‘Advancing Collaborative Logistics in the Port of Piraeus through Physical Internet Practices: early insights from the IKIGAI project’, offers early insights from the application of Physical Internet practices at the Port of Piraeus to advance collaborative logistics. The paper, co-authored by Giannis Kanellopoulos, Adriana Roukouni, and Angelos Amditis, explores how digital tools and data-sharing frameworks can transform port logistics toward greater efficiency and sustainability. Giannis Kanellopoulos will present on behalf of the team. (Tuesday, 28 April | 15:30–16:30 | EMIRGAN 2)
European Cooperation and National ITS Networks
Dr. Angelos Amditis will represent both ICCS and ITS Hellas in the Country Cluster session CC6 on ‘National and Cross-border Projects across Europe’, moderated by Joost Vantomme, President of ERTICO, with the participation of ITS national representatives from Austria, Norway, Finland, and Greece. The session examines how national innovation ecosystems can work together to accelerate smarter, more resilient transport across Europe — with a focus on common standards for seamless mobility, cross-border cooperation as a driver of innovation, and the role of ITS associations in supporting SMEs seeking to expand internationally. (Wednesday, 29 April | 09:00–10:00)
We look forward to contributing to impactful discussions, forging new collaborations, and exchanging expertise with peers from across the ITS ecosystem.
Join us in Istanbul and be part of the conversation shaping the future of mobility in Europe!
