Decision-Makers' Session Outline Getting Down to Business: Partnerships for a More Innovative Transport System   Friday, 28 May 2010 - 9.00-12.45 - Hall 1

Focusing on the Key Messages from the Forum, senior decision-makers from business, and international and professional organisations will discuss in two sessions how they can work together to foster innovation. Both sessions will highlight collaborative efforts and consider the innovations that are particularly relevant for emerging and developing countries.

Summary and Conclusions

Opening Remarks

Jack Short, Secretary General, International Transport Forum Rob Merrifield, Minister of State for Transport, Canada

Keynotes

John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman and CEO, Deutsche Lufthansa, AG

Panellists

Part 1

Scott Belcher, President and CEO, ITS America Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director General, International Union of Railways John C. Lyras, Chairman, Shipping Policy Committee, International Chamber of Shipping Hans Rat, Secretary General, International Association of Public Transport

Part 2

Peter Frise, CEO and Scientific Director, Auto21 Angela Gittens, Director General, Airports Council International Janusz Lacny, President, International Road Transport Union Henri Molleron, Director of Environment, Colas Jean-Marie Woehrling, Secretary General, Commission Centrale pour la Navigation du Rhin

Background

The challenges facing transport are well known – particularly congestion, urbanisation, fuel consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, safety, security and accessibility, as well as resource limitations as a result of the recent economic crisis. Societies – globally and nationally – are demanding ever more improvement from the transport sector. It is also clear that meeting these challenges will require innovative thinking. However, the transport sector is vast and diverse and truly global, and challenges such as those cited above are faced differently within the various modes. Finding common approaches to meeting these challenges is both essential and, perhaps, the biggest challenge of all. This session will provide representatives of the various different aspects of transport – modes, as well as infrastructure and technology providers – the opportunity to discuss means of moving forward, both individually and in partnership. Questions will include:

How can partnerships be put in place – involving different modes; public and private actors; transport and non-transport interests; different countries; and/or users – in order to increase innovation that will address the key challenges facing transport? How can we use innovation to increase modal integration? What are the means of increasing efficiency across systems, including in the face of growing congestion? How can we ensure the wide deployment of new ideas and technologies, and prevent recurrence to national approaches to innovation? What are the best means of addressing climate change and mitigating the environmental impact of transport use? How can we, in particular, meet the unmet demand in rapidly growing emerging markets and developing countries? How can governments best act to stimulate private innovation? How can we ensure an appropriately skilled workforce to be able to take up and deploy innovation?