The ITS Asia Pacific Forum 2020 program is coming together quickly with the below invited speakers already confirmed to participate and more coming on board every day!
The overall program is still under development however we anticipate confirming speakers from Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe as well as from closer to home in Australia and New Zealand.
Be sure to click on the individual speakers below to find out more about them and how they feel about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum 2020!
As more speakers come on board you will also be able to filter on their overall theme/topic by using the filter bar below.
Don’t forget to check back regularly for new speaker information.
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Amit Trivedi
CHAD Pilot Lead, Department of Transport and Main Roads -
Brian Negus
Chairman CICA Group, Director Victorian Chamber -
Chris Bax
Board Member, ITS America -
Chris Bennetts
Executive Director, Transport for NSW -
Colin Jensen
Past President, ITS Australia and ITS Asia Pacific -
Dean Zabrieszach
President of ITS Australia | CEO of HMI Technologies -
Dennis Walsh
Chief Engineer, Department of Transport & Main Roads -
Edward Chung B.E., Ph.D Professor
Academic Staff, Polytechnic University Hong Kong -
Ishra Baksh
Executive Director - MaaS, Department of Transport and Main Roads -
Jacob Bangsgaard
Chief Executive Officer, ERTICO -
James Goodwin
Chief Executive, ANCAP SAFETY -
John Wall
Program Manager Future Vehicles & Technology, Austroads -
Julian Broadbent
Founder & CEO of AEV Robotics -
Mahmood Hikmet
Head of Research & Development, Ohmio -
Mike Keating – Assistant Commissioner
Queensland Police Service Road Policing Command -
Miranda Blogg
Director | Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI) -
Neil Scales
Director General, Department of Transport & Main Roads -
Russell Shields
Chair - Ygomi LLC and CEO - RoadDB LLC -
Shailen Bhatt
President & CEO, ITS America -
Steve Dellenback
Vice President R&D, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) -
Stuart Ballingall
Executive General Manager, TCA -
Susan Harris
CEO, ITS Australia
Amit Trivedi
CHAD Pilot Lead, Department of Transport and Main Roads
Amit Trivedi has over 25 years’ experience directing and managing risk, assurance and HSEQ management systems. His experience extends to the oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and transport sectors; with dual qualifications in Engineering, he is well positioned to address organisational risks through engineering, regulation and compliance. Since joining the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) in 2006, Amit has been instrumental in delivering TMR’s rail safety regulatory functions, including drafting a business case which selected European Train Control System Level 2 as the preferred train control system for the South East Queensland rail network. Currently, Amit leads TMR’s Connected and Highly Automated Driving (CHAD) pilot with an objective to assess safety benefits and impacts of introducing automated vehicles on Queensland roads. To deliver the CHAD pilot Amit received extensive hands on training in France while building, calibrating and testing TMR’s level 4 Connected and Automated Vehicle, known as ZOE2.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
Getting MORE out of LESS or the SAME.
MORE – responsiveness, safety, resilience, sustainability, accessibility, efficiency.
LESS – human and/or capital resources.
SAME – network.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
It is an exciting time to witness how innovation is rapidly shaping our communities. The current innovation revolution promises to influence every aspect of our lives. Recent innovations in telecommunication, low power application specific computer chips, sensors and software technologies driven by artificial intelligence has opened up new possibilities in almost every industry sector. I am excited to hear from researchers, experts and policy makers on how, we as a community, are preparing for the fast paced change coming our way in the transport sector.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
Over the next decade we will start seeing connected and highly automated vehicles (level 4) commercially available, first on our highways and then gradually expanding their area of operation. These vehicles are likely to become part of the MaaS ecosystem in selected geofenced locations. We will also start seeing current conceptual Personal Rapid Transit systems being implemented and integrated within the broader transportation mix. From the freight transportation perspective we are likely to see dedicated automated prime movers connecting major ports to nearby freight hubs.
Brian Negus
Chairman CICA Group, Director Victorian Chamber
Experienced professional and Board member with a demonstrated history of working in the transport sector, and public policy and advocacy industries. Skilled in business planning and project feasibility studies, transport operations management, smart technology applications, project management, analytical skills, and Government and stakeholder relationship management.
Brian is the Chairman of the CICA (Collaborative ITS Consulting) Group, and the Immediate Past President, and Ambassador/Board Member of Intelligent Transport Systems Australia. He is also a Board Member of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and an Ambassador for the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Brian brings over 50 years of government and private sector experience to these roles which draws on his senior management positions as General Manager, Public Policy at RACV, Deputy Director of Public Transport in Victoria, Regional Director at VicRoads and General Manager of Port Planning at the Melbourne Port Corporation.
Strong professional graduated from RMIT, University of New South Wales and Mt Eliza Business School.
Chris Bax
Board Member, ITS America
Chris is Vice President, ITS Global Strategy for Cubic Transportation Systems. After spending most of his career in the UK and US he is now based from Cubic’s Asia Pacific HQ in Sydney and is responsible for the development of Cubic’s worldwide ITS businesses, delivering traffic and transportation coordination and information services to Cubic’s global customers.
Chris is a seasoned and inspiring leader who excels at guiding teams to develop and deliver solutions which have transformed transportation systems around the world.
Chris has 25 years of experience in the ITS industry managing large, complex projects in UK, Australia and Asia. Chris is passionate about establishing long-term customer relationships which combine the best aspects of the people and capabilities of organizations, built on common values, integrity and trust.
Chris Bennetts
Executive Director, Transport for NSW
Chris is the Executive Director, Digital Products Delivery for the Customer Technology and Services Division at Transport for NSW.
The Digital Products Delivery branch leads customer facing digital transformation and innovation to improve the customer experience for Transport customers. Chris leads the Future Transport program, Open Data and Apps program, Customer Feedback Systems, the Opal customer experience and product roadmap, the Digital Accelerator, and customer facing digital initiatives. Chris also leads external relationships with industry and the startup community, to drive innovation.
Earlier this year, Chris was a recipient of the Public Service Medal in the Australia Day Honours List.
Prior to joining Transport, Chris spent 15 years leading technology product development at companies including Nokia and Hewlett-Packard.
Colin Jensen
Past President, ITS Australia and ITS Asia Pacific
Managing an annual budget of $3 billion and an asset base of $23.3 billion, Colin Jensen is Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane City Council, serving a population of over 2.4 million people.
Colin oversees the largest local government in Australia and delivers Council’s key initiatives in the pursuit of its Brisbane Vision 2031. Prior to joining Council in August 2010, Colin had a successful career in the Queensland Government, most recently as the Coordinator-General and Director-General of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning.
Colin is a director of several boards including CitySmart and the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation (CBIC) and has previously been named as one of Australia’s top 100 most influential engineers for eight consecutive years.
He received the QUT Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Award and the Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award for 2011 and was awarded the Queensland 2010/11 National Emergency Medal for sustained service by the Governor-General for the role he played in the January 2011 floods.
He holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours), is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and is also an honorary fellow of Engineers Australia.
Dean Zabrieszach
President of ITS Australia | CEO of HMI Technologies
Appointed to the position of CEO of HMI Technologies in Australia in March 2015.
Dean is:
- a Board Member and President of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Australia,
- a Board Member & current Chair of ITS Asia Pacific,
- Project Director for the 23rd ITS World Congress in Melbourne in 2016,
- a member of the AustRoads Cooperative ITS Program,
- the Australian Head of Delegation and former Convenor of Working Group 9 on the International Standards Organisation Technical Committee 204 (ISO TC 204) for Intelligent Transport Systems,
- the Chair of Australian Standards Committee IT-023 for Intelligent Transport Systems, and
- MCEC Club Melbourne Ambassador
The above activities require Dean to represent Australia at numerous national and international meetings and conferences on standards and intelligent transport systems.
Dean previously worked with VicRoads, the state road authority of Victoria, from 1984 to 2015.
Dean occupied a number of senior positions within VicRoads including Manager Program Development, Manager Maintenance Program, Manager Intelligent Transport Systems, Director Road User Services and Director Road Operations.
Dean has extensive experience in traffic management and security management, as well as the development of numerous road infrastructure projects in metropolitan Melbourne.
Dean played a leading role in developing the state’s traffic and transportation plans for major events such as the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix, the Melbourne 500 cc/Moto Motorcycle Grand Prix and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the deployment of numerous ITS solutions and the development of business cases for major infrastructure projects such as the Monash Freeway-CityLink-West Gate Freeway project, and Melbourne’s successful bid to host the 23rd ITS World Congress in 2016.
Dean holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Degree from the University of Melbourne.
Dennis Walsh
Chief Engineer, Department of Transport & Main Roads
Edward Chung B.E., Ph.D Professor
Academic Staff, Polytechnic University Hong Kong
Prof Edward Chung joined The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) at the Department of Electrical Engineering in December 2017. Edward received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours and PhD from Monash University. Edward has many years experience as an engineer and an experienced academic and researcher working both nationally and internationally. From 1996 to 2009 he was a Senior Research Scientist at the Australian Road Research Board (1996-1999); Manager, Infrastructure Analysis and Modelling, Victorian Department of Infrastructure, Australia (1999-2001); Visiting Professor, Centre for Collaborative Research, University of Tokyo (2002 – 2004); and Head of ITS Group, LAVOC, EPFL, Switzerland (2005-2009).
Prior to joining PolyU, Edward was a Professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Director of the Smart Transport Research Centre, QUT. He has generated over $6M research income in the first 6 years of managing STRC and STRC won the PWC’s Queensland Government Innovation Hub Pilot Project in December 2014 for the Roadwork Safety problem. Prof Chung has strong R&D collaboration with industry and his team has developed coordinated ramp metering algorithm for Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Edward was QUT’s co-leader in the iMOVE CRC, an Australian federal government funded collaborative research centre for A$55 million over a 10 year period, to undertake industry-led research and to introduce rapidly evolving technologies in the areas of transport, logistics and connected mobility. iMOVE will be supported by up to A$178.8 million in cash and in-kind from industry and research entity.
Prof Chung collaborates widely with colleagues around Australia, as well as with leading researchers in France, Japan, China and Chile.
Ishra Baksh
Executive Director - MaaS, Department of Transport and Main Roads
Ishra joined the Queensland Public Service in 2006, as part of the Department of Transport and Main Road’s Graduate Program, and has experience working in the public and private sector environment to drive positive outcomes for customers.
She has primarily worked within the Department across strategy and delivery areas, often working in partnership with government and industry to improve the customer experience. Ishra has also taken opportunities to work in the consultancy space, within the transport and insurance sector, building strong working relationships in complex environments with a range of stakeholders.
As Executive Director (Mobility as a Service, Program Management Office), Ishra is responsible for the initial establishment and activation of the Department’s future focus on mobility in the transport.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
It’s about co-design with our customers, leveraging technology to create integrated experiences, exploring emerging business models and understanding the role of partnerships to deliver on our vision of creating a single integrated transport network accessible to everyone.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
This is an exciting opportunity to learn, network and share the work we are doing in Queensland.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
The pace of change will be rapid and our customers will expect more. New business models like Mobility as a Service will emerge along with other innovations that industry is already exploring or mature in, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. There will be many opportunities to use emerging technology to create better experiences for customers, it will be about how we do that in a way that makes sense to the customer and incorporates partnerships with industry.
Jacob Bangsgaard
Chief Executive Officer, ERTICO
Jacob Bangsgaard is the CEO of ERTICO, a multi-sector platform with 120 partners and with headquarter in Brussels, Belgium.
Mr Bangsgaard was from 2010-2016 Director General of FIA Region I. Before becoming Director General he worked as Director of International Relations at the FIA Foundation.
He worked for ERTICO from 2001-2006 as Director of International Affairs and communications responsible for the international deployment support on markets like China, India, Russia, and Brazil. He has also represented mobility interests for a Danish regional authority and he worked for two years in the European Commission Transport Directorate.
Jacob Bangsgaard is President of the MaaS Alliance and Board member of INATBA aisbl. He was on the Board of Euro NCAP from 2010-2016 and Secretary General of the Belgian association eSafetyAware from 2009-2016.
Mr Bangsgaard is a Danish national with a university background in international economics.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
Innovation is the key ingredient in everything we do at ERTICO. We were established almost 30 years ago with the purpose of making a more liveable society by solving the mobility challenges through deployment of intelligent innovative systems and services.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
Alone we can do so little but through cooperation and knowledge sharing at international level we can achieve so much which is why events like this is very important for ERTICO.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
In ERTICO we believe in forming the future together with our partners. With our 2030 strategy we set the goal for where we want to be and it is now up to us to develop the necessary steps to get there. We are working hard on making an internet for mobility that will make the mobility sector safer, cleaner and more efficient in the future.
James Goodwin
Chief Executive, ANCAP SAFETY
James Goodwin has had a professional career in corporate affairs and government relations. His areas of interest are consumer advocacy and education, particularly in the areas of mobility and safety.
Mr Goodwin is the Chief Executive of leading vehicle safety advocate in Australia and New Zealand, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). It provides consumers with independent advice and information on vehicle safety through its crash test program.
Prior to joining ANCAP, he held the position of Director – Government Relations & Communications at the Australian Automobile Association (AAA). In this role, James was responsible for advocacy strategies and political campaigning including a lead role in the successful election campaign – Demand Better Roads.
Mr Goodwin has held a senior corporate affairs position with the industry body representing the interests of new car and motorcycle brands in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI). James also held a high-profile senior corporate affairs position at AirServices Australia, an Australian Government agency providing air traffic management and firefighting services at airports. A former journalist and news presenter, James worked for major networked news outlets in Sydney and Canberra including a number of years in the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
James has also been a Non-Executive Director of St John Ambulance since 2015 and was appointed an inaugural Director of Auto Skills Australia in 2010, an organisation tasked by the Australian Government with developing the training needs of the automotive industry.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
Australians traditionally see the car as a form of freedom, yet with increasing congestion in our major cities diminishing the enjoyment of driving, consumers are looking for ways to improve their journey and maximise the travel experience. The introduction of automated vehicle technologies will allow Australians to carry on with their daily activities while removing the traditional driving ‘task’. Intelligent vehicle technologies and connected vehicles will therefore not only improve our lifestyles, but enhance safety on our roads.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
We’ve seen significant advancements in vehicle safety over the past 25 years, with the most rapid change in the past 3-5 years alone. Our lives are driven by technology and connectedness, and I look forward to contributing to the discussion which will influence the vehicle designs and road safety outcomes of tomorrow.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
The cars of tomorrow will look very similar to the cars we drive today. The difference will be the level of automation they provide. The incremental shift has already begun, with automated braking and steering systems penetrating the market. By building awareness and confidence among regulators, industry and consumers, we’ll see a rapid shift in acceptance and use of automated vehicle technologies.
John Wall
Program Manager Future Vehicles & Technology, Austroads
One of Australia’s leading specialists in the application of Intelligent Transport Systems for road safety with over 20 years experience in the development of road safety strategies and countermeasures mixed with more than 30 years experience as a first responder to road crash incidents with the NSW State Emergency Service.
My current goal is to develop the foundations of Intelligent Transport Systems that have the potential to reduce the incidence and severity of road trauma and improve the way emergency services respond to crash events
Specialities: Connected Vehicles, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), Innovation, Road Safety Countermeasures, Emergency Planning & Response, Project Management and Risk Management Strategies.
Julian Broadbent
Founder & CEO of AEV Robotics
Founder & CEO of AEV Robotics, Julian Broadbent is the former Head of Global Planning at General Motors who has worked within technology businesses, lead racing teams and delivered automotive projects around the world.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
As the world becomes more populated and we have the opportunity to improve the lives of lots of people living within rapidly growing communities. This requires fresh thinking and innovation to create new products, new services and new forms of governance. That’s what the ITS Summit is all about.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
To have a more enjoyable, sustainable and efficient transport system we need to collaborate. I’m excited about sharing ideas with, and learning from, leaders in this space.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
As vehicle ownership models change, businesses that thrive on pay as you go will become more prevalent. This will drive a shift in consumer behaviour and insurance models, government revenue models and corporate business models will be rapidly disrupted. This will give rise to a more connected and intelligent transport system.
Mahmood Hikmet
Head of Research & Development, Ohmio
Dr Mahmood Hikmet is the Head of Research and Development at Ohmio and HMI Technologies and is tasked with overseeing and synchronising R&D activity for the autonomous vehicle program and all other areas of research. As a science communicator, Mahmood’s focus is on bringing across technical information to non-technical stakeholders. Throughout his career Mahmood has been closely involved with the direct development of IoT infrastructure for intelligent transportation and mobility. Most recently, Mahmood oversaw the development of the first 5G connected autonomous shuttle in the world in conjunction with Spark as well as the delivery of the largest 3d printed autonomous vehicle in the world, the Ohmio LIFT, to Christchurch Airport.
Mahmood holds a PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Auckland.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
Improving accessibility and availability to more efficient transportation while taking human factors into account.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
It’s easy to lose track of what’s happening in a fast-growing and changing field like ITS. The ITS Asia Pacific Forum is a great opportunity to have a look around and get caught up to what the state of the art is.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
I’m not too worried about the technical side – that will keep incrementally improving as we’ve seen in a lot of other industries. What will really change the face of ITS are the new business models enabled by the technology, as well as regulatory and legislative strategy of the environments where they’re rolled out. That’s something that is very difficult to predict and will directly impact where the ITS industry goes in the future.
Mike Keating – Assistant Commissioner
Queensland Police Service Road Policing Command
Assistant Commissioner Keating is the Executive Officer for the Queensland Police Service Road Policing Command which provides the specialist road safety operational and strategic capability for the State.
Assistant Commissioner Keating is the current chair of the Australian and New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency Road Policing Network. He has chaired national working groups producing the reports Australia second generational approach to roadside drug testing for the Transport and Infrastructure Council and Remote Engine Immobilisers for the Ministerial Council for Police and Emergency Management.
He is very closely associated with the policy agencies and research communities for road safety at both a state and national level.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
It exemplifies that the models of community that we have now are going to change. Through innovation we can create more liveable spaces and community models.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
I am not a technical person. I do know however, that I need to be more informed about integrated technologies to be an active participant in the future of transport and life in general .
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
I am not sure anyone actually knows the pace of change that is coming. I think we all know that in ten years our transport world and our entire life will be significantly different to what we see and experience now.
Miranda Blogg
Director | Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI)
Dr Miranda Blogg is the Director of the Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Miranda has worked for the department for the last 5 years, and prior to, she was a consultant working both in Australia and the United States. Miranda is a registered civil engineer with a PhD in traffic engineering, and has specialised in traffic engineering, transport planning and research for over 20 years.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
A chance to improve mobility, safety and environmental transport outcomes for our customers
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
A chance to showcase the exciting ITS projects that Queensland governments and industry have delivered
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
The next 10 years offers some very exciting times for the transport industry. Transport innovation, such as automated vehicles, are capturing the imagination of the community. The industry has a unique opportunity to leverage this fascination to drive meaningful and significant change.
Neil Scales
Director General, Department of Transport & Main Roads
Director-General, Neil leads the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), with an operating budget of $6.189 billion, capital budget of $2.877 billion and managed assets worth $66.854 billion.
Neil joined the Queensland Public Service in March 2012 as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TransLink where he was responsible for the public transport network across Queensland. He was appointed Director-General of TMR in March 2013.
In September 2014, Neil became Commissioner for the National Transport Commission (NTC) and joined the Roads Australia Board in November 2014. Neil is Chair of Austroads and Deputy Chair of the Australian Road Research Board. He is also a board member of the Queensland Transport and Logistics Council, Tourism and Transport Forum, Roads Australia and the Australian Centre for Rail Innovation and Police-Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) Queensland.
In September 2014, Neil became Government Champion for the Woorabinda Indigenous community. From 2015–2017, Neil was the Queensland Public Sector’s CEO Champion against domestic and family violence. In 2017, Neil won the Australia’s CEO Challenge Race, a fundraising initiative that raises money and awareness for domestic and family violence prevention.
Neil became Acting CEO for Queensland Rail in October 2016, returning to his Director-General role at TMR in April 2017.
In 2019, Neil successfully completed the Vincent Fairfax ethical leadership course.
Prior to joining TransLink, Neil was one of the United Kingdom’s (UK) most senior public transport executives. He was Chief Executive and Director-General of Merseytravel, the transport authority for Merseyside in the north of England.
In this role, he was responsible for some 200 million passenger journeys every year by train, bus and ferries and the two Mersey tunnels. He is credited for reversing the fortunes of Merseytravel, which is now recognised as one of the best transport authorities in the UK.
Neil has served as a Trustee of Museums and Galleries of Merseyside, a member of the British Transport Police Authority and an Integrated Transport Commissioner.
Neil has held executive roles with transport and engineering companies and has consultancy experience with several organisations, including the World Bank and the European Commission.
Russell Shields
Chair - Ygomi LLC and CEO - RoadDB LLC
Russ Shields is former CEO of Navigation Technologies (later NAVTEQ, now HERE), and current Chair of Ygomi LLC and CEO of RoadDB LLC. RoadDB offers a full in-vehicle software solution for the road database and localization to be used in automated driving in series production vehicles.
Mr. Shields has been involved in communications standards bodies for nearly 40 years. He is Chair of the Collaboration on ITS Communication Standards of the ITU. He is also a member of the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board; an SAE Fellow; and a recipient of the SAE‑Delco Electronics ITS Award.
Mr. Shields was inducted into the inaugural class of ITS America’s ITS Hall of Fame in 2008, and was named the inaugural U.S. member of the ITS World Congress Hall of Fame in 2010.
Mr. Shields has received the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Alumni Award in Entrepreneurship.
What does the forum theme “ITS Innovation Creating Liveable Communities” mean to you?
In the context of transportation, livable communities are places where people can live and work without having to structure their lives around the transportation infrastructure in ways that unduly impair life. Asian cities are experiencing problems with crowded public transport, traffic jams, and pollution with its effects on health and the environment. Asian countries are very much a test bed for viable ITS solutions to help create livable communities.
Why are you excited about participating at the ITS Asia Pacific Forum on Intelligent Transport Systems 2020?
Asia is a leader in ITS innovation and it’s exciting to see so many people gathered to discuss sustainable ways to implement ITS at a large scale.
Where do you see the Intelligent Transport industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
In the next five to ten years, I expect automated driving to become widespread in consumer vehicles. Many cities will have shuttles that operate at SAE Level 5 in a geofenced area, and vehicle manufacturers will gradually introduce SAE Level 2+/3 features in series production vehicles. Enabling automated driving in series production vehicles will require a great deal of new supporting technology including for road data and real-time data communications. The requirements of automated driving promise to reinvigorate and potentially disrupt the intelligent transport industry, challenging established players and creating opportunities for new ones.
Shailen Bhatt
President & CEO, ITS America
As its chief executive, Bhatt promotes policies that advance the development and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies throughout the United States. He has testified before Congress about the positive safety impact of intelligent transportation technologies, including connected and automated vehicles.
Bhatt is a leading voice in transportation on technology’s ability to save lives and reduce crashes on U.S. roadways. He speaks extensively about the importance of vehicles to communicate with each other and all roadway users as one of the best ways to improve safety and reduce congestion. He is also passionate about reducing transportation’s carbon footprint and the need to provide seamless mobility and transportation choices to people no matter where they live.
Bhatt was appointed as a transportation leader by three governors. While serving as Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the agency launched the Road X program, which is focused on deploying innovative technology solutions such as connected vehicles and teaming with the private sector to shape the future of transportation. Prior to CDOT, Bhatt was Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Transportation. He was also a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Bhatt has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and the Executive Committee of the I-95 Corridor Coalition; he was a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Agenda Council on the Future of Automotive and Personal Transport.
Bhatt graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Western Kentucky University. He lives with his wife and two young daughters in Washington, DC.
Steve Dellenback
Vice President R&D, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Dr. Steve Dellenback is Vice President R&D of the Intelligent Systems Division at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas. He is leading SwRI’s research and development (R&D) efforts in intelligent transportation systems, unmanned systems, cooperative systems, space flight software, and large-scale robotics. He leads SwRI’s work in intelligent vehicles, robotics and cybersecurity including R&D in the areas of automated vehicle, connected vehicle and active safety technologies for commercial, state government, federal government and military clients. SwRI has fielded more than 20 different automated vehicle platforms ranging in size from golf carts to Class 8 trucks, agricultural vehicles as well as multiple military vehicles along with assorted enabling technologies for commercial vehicle manufactures and tier 1 suppliers in the US, Japan and Europe, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s and Doctorate in Computer Science from the University of Kansas.
Stuart Ballingall
Executive General Manager, TCA
Stuart Ballingall is the Executive General Manager of Transport Certification Australia (TCA), which has a lead national role in providing assurance for transport technologies, including telematics and data services. Prior to TCA, Stuart held senior roles with Transport for Victoria, VicRoads, Austroads and General Motors Holden, and has led a wide range of major technical and policy programs in the transport domain. He has also been a member of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) Board, the National Positioning Infrastructure Advisory Board, and various other national and international forums. Stuart holds a Bachelor of Engineering with honours, a Master of Business Administration, and is currently leading a PhD project at University of Melbourne researching safety assurance for automated driving systems.
Susan Harris
CEO, ITS Australia
Technology is changing our lives and access to quality transportation is key to the livability of our communities. I am inspired by the opportunities that technology can deliver across transport and mobility. As an experienced business leader , local and international networks are leveraged to create opportunities for deployment of smart transport solutions.
Sound strategy, commercial and project management capabilities are leveraged to inspire, create and deliver real opportunities cross the complex ecosystem of transport technology players in Australia. Sitting across a number of cross sectoral committees and Boards in Australia and internationally, as well as collaborating across many related industry sectors I am ideally placed to identify and act on strategic collaboration opportunities, growing the ITS industry for Australia and ensuring the ongoing strength and stability of the peak body.
This experience has built strong commercial skills together with strategic thinking and analytical skills to deliver business improvements and sound strategic direction. These attributes are supported with strong negotiating skills, project management and stakeholder management expertise, providing effective strategy development and implementation.
