27 – 29 April 2026 | Türkiye, Instanbul – The International Road Federation (IRF) is actively contributing to the conversation on the future of connected and automated mobility at the ITS European Congress 2026, where transport experts, policymakers and technology leaders are meeting to advance innovation in intelligent transport systems.

Representing IRF at the congress, Project Manager Iona Kirkpatrick is participating in a series of technical sessions focused on the infrastructure requirements needed to support safer and more reliable automated mobility systems.

As part of IRF’s participation, Iona delivered a presentation during the Special Interest Session on Infrastructure-supported Automated Mobility, where she shared insights from iEXODDUS, an IRF-supported European project working to improve the interaction between infrastructure and automated vehicles. The presentation highlighted how intelligent infrastructure, which includes roadside sensors, digital twins and real-time contextual data, that can help extend the operational capabilities of automated vehicles, improving safety, efficiency and resilience across transport networks.

In addition to presenting, Iona also joined the panel discussion on “Next-generation roadside sensing ecosystems for autonomous-ready infrastructure”, which explored how infrastructure systems can provide the real-time awareness needed for automated vehicles to safely navigate increasingly complex environments.

She is also joining a panel titled “From infrastructure intelligence to safer automation: ODD extension, edge-AI stacks, standardised road condition services and multimodal orchestration”, where experts examined the technologies and collaborative frameworks required to support automated mobility at scale. These discussions addressed the importance of reliable roadside intelligence, interoperable standards and coordinated infrastructure services in enabling the next generation of connected transport.

IRF’s presence in these discussions reflects its continued commitment to shaping practical, scalable solutions for automated mobility, bringing together infrastructure operators, researchers and industry stakeholders to address the challenges of deployment and standardisation.

A central part of this work is iEXODDUS, a European initiative focused on extending the Operational Design Domains (ODDs) of connected and automated vehicles through infrastructure support. By integrating real-time road data, digital infrastructure services and harmonised communication standards, the project aims to create safer and more adaptive mobility systems while helping road authorities prepare for the demands of automation.

Through its participation at ITS European Congress 2026, IRF is reinforcing the role of infrastructure as a critical enabler of automated mobility and ensuring that the voice of road operators remains central in the development of future transport systems.