On 21 and 22 October 2026, ASSTRA, the Italian association of local public transport companies, brings the sector together in Rome, at the Hotel Parco dei Principi, for its 20th National Convention. The first afternoon is built around four thematic sessions: funding and investment, labour and industrial dynamics, market and contract awards, technology and digitalisation. Their outcomes feed the institutional working tables held the next day. The Pysae team will attend as visitors.
When and where is the 2026 ASSTRA National Convention?
The convention takes place at the Hotel Parco dei Principi, Via Gerolamo Frescobaldi 5, Rome. The programme published by ASSTRA runs as follows:
- 21 October, 14:30-16:30: "Resources and investment" (Sala Fernandez) and "Labour and industrial dynamics" (Sala Medici), in parallel
- 21 October, 17:00-19:00: "Market and contract awards" (Sala Medici) and "Technology and digitalisation" (Sala Fernandez), in parallel
- 21 October, 20:30-22:00: networking dinner
- 22 October, 10:00-14:00: institutional session, organised in several working tables
Registration is open online from the official event page.
How do the thematic sessions work?
The format is designed to hear from the room, not only from the stage. Each session lasts 120 minutes and opens with a 15-minute keynote by the moderator, who presents a starting document. During the session the moderator runs technical polls through a QR code, answered from participants' own phones, and opens bookings for interventions from the floor, limited to 3 minutes each.
Poll results and contributions are compiled into a strategic summary that becomes the basis of the institutional tables on 22 October. In practice, the companies in the room help shape the positions the sector takes into its discussions with institutions.
Why does the technology and digitalisation session concern every operator?
For a local transport company, digitalisation is not a side project: it affects service regularity, passenger information and reporting to the contracting authority. Three questions come up in almost every project we work on:
- Which real-time data to publish, and in which format? GTFS-RT, SIRI and NeTEx coexist, and the requirements differ from country to country. See our overview of the real-time data standard each European country requires.
- How do you get on-board systems to work together? AVM, passenger counters and validators need to share the same location and trip data, which is what an AVM should cover in 2026.
- How do you deliver reliable passenger information? It starts with knowing where every vehicle is against its planned trip. Our article on GTFS-RT in practice explains the chain from GPS to the passenger's screen.
Why are contract awards a digital topic too?
The "Market and contract awards" session touches a concrete point for any bidder: more and more tender specifications require an AVM system, open real-time data and automated reporting of the service delivered. Technology choices therefore weigh on the bid itself, not only after the contract is awarded.
What will we do in Rome?
We will be in Rome to listen to operators, authorities and associations, and to see which priorities come out of the 22 October tables. We will publish a recap after the convention.
Will you be at the ASSTRA National Convention too? Get in touch: the Pysae team will be glad to meet you in Rome and show you how our AVM works on networks like yours.