If you’re as enthusiastic about transport and development as we are on this blog, you’ve probably already heard about Transforming Transportation, the annual sustainable mobility conference hosted jointly by the World Bank and the World Resources Institute. Every year, the multi-day forum brings together a prestigious lineup of global leaders and industry experts for an extensive program of events at the nexus of transport, development, and climate action.
If you’ve ever attended or considered attending, here’s some good news: after two years of an all-virtual conference, Transforming Transportation will be back in person at the World Bank’s Washington, DC headquarters on March 14-15. With just a few days to go before the kickoff, we tell you everything you need to know about this next edition.
What makes #TTDC23 so special?
This upcoming Transforming Transportation will not just be our first in-person convening since 2020, it will also mark the 20th anniversary of the program. That’s right, 20 years! It is hard to believe that what started as a relatively modest transport symposium back in 2004 has grown into one of the leading global conferences on transport and sustainable development.
Our ambition for this special anniversary edition? Make Transforming Transportation 2023 the best one yet.
What are we going to talk about?
The conference comes at an important time for transport and development. From climate change to COVID-19, conflict, and macroeconomic uncertainty, today’s global challenges have had a profound impact on transport, and on the people and businesses that rely on it. Transforming Transportation 2023 will take the current context as a starting point to reimagine transport and make it greener, safer, more inclusive, and more efficient.
Sessions will focus on transport decarbonization, resilience, logistics, innovative technology solutions, financing… and many, many other topics. To get the full picture, make sure to take a look at the agenda.
What to expect?
This year’s edition will provide innovative ways to learn, interact, and build new connections. With their Transforming Transportation badge in hand, participants will gain access to:
- 5 plenary sessions
- 15 technical sessions
- A host of networking opportunities
- An exclusive knowledge exhibition
How to join?
Feeling excited about the event? There are several ways you can get in on the action:
- To enjoy the full Transforming Transportation experience, we highly recommend you join us in person. Attendance is free of charge but space is filling up quickly, so we encourage you to register as soon as possible.
- Interested participants who cannot travel to Washington, DC will also have the option to follow most sessions virtually. Please note that advance registration is required for all attendees, even if joining online.
- Some of the main sessions will be broadcast on our World Bank Live platform, which is accessible to everyone.
- The conversation will be happening on stage but also on social media, so don’t forget to follow @WBG_Transport and share your thoughts with #TTDC23.
Who will be there?
Once again this year, an impressive range of leaders and changemakers will take to the Transforming Transportation stage.
In light of ongoing events, we are honored to announce the participation of Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, who will be headlining our program on resilience together with Anna Bjerde, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia.
Stephan Brunner, Vice President of Costa Rica, and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Environment Minister, will share fresh insights on mobility and development from their respective countries.
We will also be talking to the mayors of major cities around the world, including Accra, Bilbao, Dhaka, and Lima.
Those of you who appreciate the power of innovation and creative thinking will be delighted to hear from Bertrand Piccard, the first man to travel around the world using a solar-powered aircraft.
On the private sector side, we will be chatting with the representatives of major companies like General Motors and SouthBridge Investments, a Pan-African advisory and investment company.
And of course, we will have the chance to catch up with some of the most influential development partners in our sector, such as Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, and Young Tae Kim, Secretary General of the OECD’s International Transport Forum.
These speakers will engage with an audience of over 1,000 in-person attendees, with hundreds more expected to join online. Participants include government officials, transport experts, development practitioners, researchers, students, etc.
As diverse as they might be, all our delegates have one thing in common: they understand that changing the way we move is essential to the future of people and the planet, and they are determined to make it happen.
Join the Conversation