108 companies, including Hyundai Motor and Google, gather in Gangneung to compete in future transportation technology at ITS World Congress

[Financial News] Global automotive and information technology (IT) companies, including Hyundai Motor Company, Google and Qualcomm, are gathering in Gangneung to compete in future mobility technologies. The 2026 Gangneung Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress, which will showcase next-generation transportation technologies ranging from autonomous driving to artificial intelligence (AI)-based traffic control, opens on the 19th. Around 60,000 people from around 90 countries worldwide are expected to attend, making the event a major forum for technological exchange in the global future mobility industry.
According to Gangneung City and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 18th, the congress will be held from the 19th to the 23rd at venues around Gangneung Olympic Park under the theme “A World United Beyond Mobility.” ITS is technology that integrates advanced IT into transportation infrastructure, such as vehicles and roads, to improve efficiency and safety.
The centerpiece is the advanced mobility technology being showcased by global companies. A technology exhibition at the Gangneung Speed Skating Arena will feature 108 organizations and companies from Korea and abroad, including Hyundai Motor Company, Lotte Innovate, Google, Qualcomm, Toyota and Honda. They are expected to present future transportation technologies and directions for development, with a focus on autonomous driving, AI and intelligent transportation systems.
The Gangneung Convention Center will host discussions on key issues facing the next-generation transportation industry, including autonomous driving technology, AI-based traffic signal control, demand-responsive transport (DRT) and shared mobility. Protecting vulnerable road users and environmentally friendly transportation systems will also be major agenda items. A ministerial meeting on opening day will address future transportation innovation using AI-based ITS.
Gangneung, the host city, will showcase its ITS infrastructure, built across the city. Key features include smart intersections and crosswalks, the provision of real-time traffic signal information and signal priority for emergency vehicles. During the event, autonomous vehicles will run on a loop around Olympic Park, allowing visitors to experience the technology firsthand.
Hands-on events for the general public are also planned. Activities and attractions will include AI autonomous driving, a virtual reality (VR) truck, robot soccer and drone simulators. A large-scale light show featuring 3,500 drones will take place on the opening day, the 19th, while a figure skating show and a K-music concert will be held on the 22nd and 23rd, respectively.
Gangneung Mayor Kim Jung-nam said, “It will be a future mobility festival where cutting-edge technology and citizens’ lives come together,” and called on citizens to participate actively.
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter