Smart mobility brings Korea and the Netherlands together in Gangneung
Brabant is taking its international innovation links to South Korea this October, creating a new opportunity for Dutch and Korean experts to connect around the future of smart mobility.
On 20 October, the Korea-Netherlands Joint Conference ‘Smart Mobility for Future Transportation’, co-hosted by the Province of North Brabant, TNO and ITS Korea (Intelligent Transport Society of Korea) will bring policymakers, researchers, and industry experts to the Gangneung Convention Center.
The timing is significant. The ITS World Congress 2026 takes place in Gangneung that same week, from 19 to 23 October. Under the theme ‘Beyond Mobility, Connected World’, it will focus attention on intelligent and connected transport.
Smart mobility is developing rapidly in both Korea and the Netherlands, as well as internationally, bringing together developments in technology, infrastructure, services and policy. South Korea is investing heavily in this area as part of its wider smart-city agenda, with connected transport infrastructure and autonomous mobility among its priorities.
Collaboration opportunities
The joint conference will explore how developments in Korea and the Netherlands compare and where the two countries could work together. Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi, CEO of TNO, will join the delegation and deliver the keynote address. The programme will also examine each country’s national strategy for smart mobility, with contributions from the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KOROAD) and Jantina Woudstra, General Director of RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority). Ina Adema, King’s Commissioner for North Brabant, will present the province’s smart mobility initiatives.
The focus then moves to research. A representative from the Korea Automotive Technology Institute
(KATECH) and Olaf op den Camp, Senior Consultant at TNO, will discuss national research initiatives, followed by a panel of Korean and Dutch experts. Industry pitches will add a business perspective, before Lars Meijer, Policy Advisor at the Province, looks at the European outlook for connected, cooperative and automated mobility (CCAM) and North Brabant’s vision.
North Brabant’s contribution reflects the region’s emphasis on cooperation between companies, research institutions and public partners, helping to connect innovation and research with practical applications.
Innovation ecosystems
That collaborative approach also extends internationally, with North Brabant building links with other innovation regions to exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for cooperation.
Peter Wijlhuizen, Senior Advisor Innovation, Technology & Science at the Netherlands Embassy in Korea, works on strengthening technological cooperation between Korean and Dutch companies, researchers, and public bodies. He will moderate the conference, open the programme, and deliver the closing remarks.
“Korea and the Netherlands both have a great deal to contribute to smart mobility,” says Peter. “This conference gives us a chance to share what we’re working on and see where closer cooperation makes sense.”
The conference builds on growing ties between Korea and the Netherlands. North Brabant has been strengthening links with Korean innovation ecosystems, particularly around high tech and advanced mobility. This includes its partnership with Gyeonggi Province, formalised through an MoU in 2024 and followed by exchanges focused on areas including semiconductors, batteries and advanced mobility.
“What matters is what happens afterwards,” says Peter. “We want the conversations in Gangneung to lead to relationships that continue between our countries.”