NATRANS Expo will raise the curtain on its 2nd edition at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on October 25 and 26, 2016. The event is held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority – Land and Maritime.

The two-day event will feature the most advanced technologies across a wide range of applications in today’s smart cities; from Road & Traffic, smart parking solutions, automatic incident & real time traffic telemetry, signals, nationwide interoperable ETC systems, metro & rail infrastructure projects, maritime and ports, security solutions to green city buses and autonomous vehicles.

One of the major exhibitors Luis Angulo, Chief Commercial Officer at KBC Networks, commented: “The transportation sector is a really important market for KBC. We have completed a number of projects in the Middle East region based around the transmission of secure, encrypted video, voice and data over public, 4G networks with our ThruLink series – it’s perfect for transportation and smart cities applications”.

“There are a number of factors that make the UAE an important market for us: its well-developed infrastructure; the ongoing developments and urban planning initiatives; the availability of high quality, mobile networks, and end-users who not only demand sophisticated and high performance networks, but who are also excited by new technologies. These factors make the UAE the ideal environment for KBC’s products – and working with its customers challenges us to deliver better and more innovative communications solutions”. Angulo added.

Two Technical Conferences will be running parallel to the event; one conference will be discussing sustainable transportation and one will be dedicated to IoT in transportation. The conferences aim to be the industry’s meeting point for all top transport professionals. It will deliver a diverse line up of industry experts, academics and market leaders with more than 75+ speakers from 30 countries and over 300 delegates. Both conferences will discuss the very latest in the future of transportation systems. Key topics include: Smart Infrastructure, Future of Parking, Smart Ports and Planes, Hyperloop, walkability, IoT implementation and the 2030 vision.

Earlier this month, NATRANS Expo and the Diplomatic Council, a global Think Tank in Consultative Status with the United Nations, have entered into a far-reaching cooperation. The Diplomatic Council will be represented at the conference by Steef Korfker, Chairman DC Global E-Mobility Forum, who will deliver a keynote speech on “Sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure”.

Korfker will introduce the three-tier model for the switch to a globally sustainable energy supply which focuses on electric mobility as the key element. The Diplomatic Council, a global organisation headed by diplomats and business leaders, supports authorities in respect to gradually convert their transportation infrastructure to e-mobility. In Sri Lanka, the Diplomatic Council already has successfully completed a pilot project which is considered a flagship project worldwide. The project aims at the conversion of the three-wheelers, which are used by a majority of the population, to electric mobility. “In a large part of Asia, electric tuk tuks can play a major role in reducing smog. Funding programmes of the government can contribute to achieving a turnaround in the energy transition.” Said Korfker.

Akin Adamson, Middle East Director of Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), commented: “Technology is disrupting all areas of transport — from the mobility choices of consumers, to large scale changes to transport infrastructure and the way me move people and goods around cities”.

“Globally, we are seeing the emergence of four key megatrends that are driving further change in the transport industry. These are electrification, automation, connectivity and shared mobility. However, it’s vital that the implications of these megatrends are fully understood so that change can be introduced safely and effectively. TRL’s independent, evidence-based approach and programmes of research and innovation are playing a critical role in ensuring that changes in the future of transport system are safe, clean, affordable, accessible and efficient.” Adamson added.

Alex Heuff, Exhibition Director, added: “NATRANS Expo celebrates the modern age of transportation and will focus on the impact of technology and design across all sectors, which is currently evolving at an unstoppable rate. NATRANS Expo is the ONLY event in its sector that brings the industry together to transform the way transportation is both activated and consumed in the future. The event will showcase numerous features allowing the audience to experience the future of their respective industry or field. We look forward to welcoming everyone in Abu Dhabi next month”.

NATRANS Expo is expected to attract hundreds of visitors over the two days. With the support of the Federal Transport Authority Land and Maritime, the event is sponsored by Honeywell, Lean Park and KORE; with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies as the Strategic Partner. Several big players in the market will also be participating at the event, such as MASDAR City, Omnix, Fybr, Aeromobil, Mitsubishi, XRAIL, Emirates Driving Company and Tactical Partners AECOM and ATKINS.