Fiscal 2004 ITS Info-Communications Systems Symposium


1. Opening Remarks from Hosting Organization
Dr. Shoichiro TOYODA, Chairman, ITS Info-communications Forum

There are great expectations that ITS will provide effective solutions for various matters including traffic congestion, environmental problems and safety concerns, issues faced not only by Japan, but in countries around the world. Equally high is the expectation that ITS will be a major driving force of the Japanese economy in the 21 century.

Against this background, the ITS World Congress is scheduled in Japan later this year after a nine-year interval, and the 2005 World Expo will be held in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, in 2005. It is important for us to make the best use of these venues to appeal our cutting-edge ITS to the world.

The first ITS World Congress was held a decade ago in Paris, France, and I recall that I took the participants by surprise by stating that as many as 350,000 car navigation units were already being used in Japan, a time when car navigation systems were basically an unknown commodity in other parts of the world. Today, I am amazed at the prevailing speed in which the application of car navigation systems is spreading.

At this symposium we are joined by not only ITS experts, but also those involved in other business fields to review ITS business development and discuss various perspectives. I would like to further expedite our promotion efforts based on the views expressed during the session, and at the same time, seek a greater understanding of the ITS Info-communications Forum and continued support for its activities.