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EIT Urban Mobility

EIT UM

Mobility for more liveable urban spaces EIT Urban Mobility is dedicated to accelerating solutions that improve our collective use of urban spaces, while ensuring accessible, convenient, safe, efficient, sustainable and affordable multimodal mobility. EIT Urban Mobility’s objective is to rethink urban spaces, overcoming fragmentation by integrating all urban mobility players – including cities and citizens – and increasing social inclusion and equality. By accelerating the products, services and processes for cities, EIT Urban Mobility will reimagine collective and individual mobility, shaping it according to local needs, supporting communities and stimulating the economy.

Lobbying Activity

Response to New European Bauhaus

17 Oct 2025

The EIT Community NEB (led by EIT Urban Mobility in collaboration with CKIC, EIT Food, and EIT Manufacturing) deploys the NEB through an integrated journey of 7 complementary programmes: Connect NEB, Co-create NEB, Enhance NEB, Ignite NEB, Grow NEB, Catalyse NEB, and NEB Mentors. Since 2021, 245 activities have been deployed, engaging over 10,000 citizens across 35 countries and empowering entrepreneurs, start-ups, municipalities, civil society, and individuals to co-design tangible NEB solutions. 5.9 million has been sub-granted to 92 start-ups, 88 citizen engagement projects, and 17 ideation events, resulting in over 40 public space transformations. Looking ahead, we aim to reinforce connections with other NEB initiatives and prioritise financial sustainability and policy integration to ensure long-term impact. Each programme targets a specific audience, offering multiple entry points to foster broad and inclusive participation. Ignite NEB events are accessible to individuals of all ages, backgrounds and professions to co-create solutions to local challenges. To broaden our impact, we aim to embed Ignite NEB events within wider NEB activities. Additionally, we are developing NEB event guidelines to support the standardisation of practices and introduce a NEB certification ensuring alignment of NEB values and principles, from concept to execution. Winners of Ignite NEB events are offered the opportunity to further develop and test their ideas through an eight-month mentorship program: Grow NEB, which supports the transition from concept to viable business or social ventures, including start-up creation. Remonda exemplifies this journey from ideation to entrepreneurship. After winning Ignite NEB event in Sevilla, 3 young female entrepreneurs joined Grow NEB program to refine their idea of transforming 6 tons of Sevilles annual orange waste into biomaterials. They registered as a start-up and were selected to continue their growth within Catalyse NEB. Catalyse NEB is our flagship acceleration programme for NEB- aligned start-ups, designed to drive market deployment of NEB solutions by accelerating business growth and enhancing access to funding. An exemplary venture is Naviblind, which provides blind and visually impaired individuals with independent navigation via ultra-precise, personalised GNSS-guided routing through a cap-mounted device. Naviblind was selected to represent EIT at R&I Days in Brussels. While strengthening connections with investors, industry partners, cities, and end-users is vital for sustaining innovation, a clearly defined roadmap for post-acceleration and innovation funding is needed to ensure long-term financial sustainability and investment readiness. Connect NEB foster grassroot transformation by supporting community-driven, bottom-up initiatives. By offering accessible, well-structure funding and mentoring, it becomes an entry point for small actors such as grassroots, NGOs, civil societies traditionally underserved by EU Funding. Co-create NEB creates a framework where cocreation with citizens is done in collaboration of experts and local authorities, it merges a bottom-up with top-down approach to enable long-lasting ecosystemic change. Kopli 93 Community Courtyard, Estonia (Rising Stars, NEB Prize) transforming a derelict, heritage-listed cultural centre into a vibrant community hub. Enhance NEB supports the scaling and replication of successful projects to amplify their impact. (Un)healthy Spaces, Slovenia (Runner-up, NEB Prize) had scaled-up and transformed neglected outdoor areas at Ljubljana University Medical Centre, into restorative, accessible, greener spaces. Co-created solutions will be more accessible to a wider audience via NEB Junction. Additionally, formal links to structural funding, such as the next roll-out component of the NEB Facility or other EU funding programs(eg. DUT, PCP)would support the replication and scaling of successful solutions ensuring ecosystem transformation.
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Meeting with Sophia Kircher (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2025 · Innovationen im öffentlichen Verkehr

Meeting with Eszter Lakos (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Sept 2025 · Innovation policies

Meeting with Javi López (Member of the European Parliament) and Grupo Vall Companys

24 Sept 2025 · European Green Deal

Response to Sustainable transport investment plan

4 Sept 2025

EIT Urban Mobility is a trusted partner of the EU in accelerating innovation, investment, and deployment across the transport sector. As Europe's largest community for urban mobility innovation, we support cities, startups, and industry in delivering on the Green Deal through real-world solutions. We see the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) as a key opportunity to align EU policy and funding with the full scope of decarbonisation needs, including urban and regional mobility. Please find attached our contribution to the consultation.
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Response to European Data Union Strategy

18 Jul 2025

EIT Urban Mobility supports the European Data Union Strategy and highlights key priorities from the urban mobility perspective. These include improving data access for start-ups and SMEs, empowering cities as data intermediaries, reducing legal and technical fragmentation, and ensuring long-term funding and continuity for digital infrastructure. The contribution also stresses the need to invest in local skills and institutional capacity to enable effective data use. For more details, please refer to the attached full contribution.
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Meeting with Gabriele Giudice (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto)

12 Jun 2025 · Exchange of views on Urban Mobility

Meeting with Elena Kountoura (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Jun 2025 · Meeting with EIT Urban Mobility representatives

Response to Policy agenda for cities

26 May 2025

EIT Urban Mobility, a leading European innovation community partnering with over 250 cities, startups, universities, and companies, welcomes the EU Commissions initiative for a renewed EU Agenda for Cities. We fully support efforts to streamline EU support for cities and integrate their perspectives into policymaking. 1. Strengthen city participation in EU policymaking Cities are at the frontline of implementing EU objectives yet they are often underrepresented in the policymaking process. We recommend: Embed city perspectives early: Establish structured mechanisms for involving cities in the design of EU legislation, funding programmes, and regulatory frameworks. Harmonise regulatory interpretations: Clarify rules on GDPR, light electric vehicles (LEV), shared mobility and other areas where national differences hinder scaling. Prevent contradictory policy impacts: Create formal channels for cities to flag potential implementation challenges or conflicting effects of EU policies early in the policymaking process. 2. Improve access to and use of EU support We support simplification and better coordination of EU-level support. The current funding landscape is fragmented and hard to navigate, especially for smaller cities. Based on our experience working with cities, we recommend: Direct funding to cities: Enable more direct, fair access to EU funding for cities, reducing reliance on national intermediaries where it risks diluting local priorities and innovation potential. Simplified administration and reporting: Align EU reporting tools with local administrative systems and reduce burdens, especially in small cities with limited staff capacity. Enable flexible testing: Support the creation of legislative sandboxes that allow cities to test emerging technologies (e.g. AVs, AI, drones), easing national regulatory constraints. Support cities in the implementation of EU legislation: Allocate technical and financial resources to help cities comply with key requirements under EU legislation such as the revised TEN-T (SUMPs), ITS and AFIR regulations. 3. Boost innovation through ecosystems and better design and evaluation Innovation needs a pathway from pilot to scale. From our pan-European work, we recommend to: Leverage local innovation ecosystems: Cities, startups, research institutions, and civil society together form delivery ecosystems that translate EU policy into action. These should be supported as critical enablers of implementation. Adopt a two-stage innovation process: Start with short pilots (e.g. 4-month RAPTOR - www.raptorproject.eu) followed by longer deployments focused on outcomes and scaling potential. Align project structures with city planning: Projects should contribute directly to local strategies (e.g. SUMPs) and include pathways for post-pilot procurement and replication. Standardise impact evaluation: Define an EU-supported framework to evaluate and benchmark innovation initiatives, thus also facilitating their replication and scaling. We support expanding Urban Mobility Indicators (UMIs) to wider innovation areas. 4. Build local capacity, skills, and inclusion Innovative policy depends on stronger institutional capacity, especially in smaller cities: Invest in skills and training: Embed capacity-building modules in all EU urban programmes, especially on procurement, data governance, innovation management, and citizen and stakeholder engagement. Expand and align the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) with broader EU cohesion policy objectives: Support lower-innovation regions with targeted place-based assistance and easier access to funding. Involve cities in Social Climate Fund planning and implementation: Empower cities to shape and implement Social Climate Fund strategies that serve low-income and underserved communities. Foster peer learning and knowledge exchange: Promote structured exchange among cities to spread best practices and speed innovation adoption.
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Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

17 Mar 2025

EIT Urban Mobility is a proven partner for the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, combining investment, ecosystem-building, and hands-on support to help mobility startups scale. As Europes most active mobility investor, we bridge research, market deployment, and policy, ensuring startups grow despite financial and regulatory challenges. By integrating the EIT model into the strategy and FP10, the EU can unlock investment, streamline regulations, and accelerate innovation in urban mobility. We stand ready to collaborate with EU institutions, Member States, and industry to strengthen Europes leadership in sustainable mobility innovation. Please find attached our detailed feedback to the consultation.
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Response to Evaluation of the Public Procurement Directives

6 Mar 2025

EIT Urban Mobility is Europes leading network for transport innovation in cities. Our experience in connecting startups, cities, and procurement processes aims to ensure that innovation-friendly policies support SMEs and public sector transformation for a healthier and more competitive Europe. Public procurement is key to driving innovation, ensuring fair competition, and deploying sustainable mobility solutions. However, current frameworks create barriers for SMEs, inefficiencies in scaling innovation, and limited crisis-response flexibility. A critical gap exists between funding innovation and market adoption, as no structured mechanism ensures successful pilots transition into full-scale procurement in cities. Key challenges and recommendations 1. Simplification and flexibility: Medium-sized administrations often lack staff capacity to manage procurement efficiently. Documentation requirements, eligibility conditions, and compliance checks continue to slow down processes and exclude new entrants. We recommend simplifying procedures, improving digital procurement platforms, and strengthening capacity building resources for procurement officers. 2. SME access and cross-border participation: High solvency requirements and limited visibility of tenders restrict SME participation. Cross-border procurement is further hindered by language barriers and national regulatory variations. Despite the potential benefits of dividing large tenders into smaller lots, this practice remains underutilised. We call for SME quotas, multilingual procurement platforms, better information access, and a stronger emphasis on dividing large contracts into smaller lots to create a level playing field. 3. Innovation, green and social criteria: Innovation-friendly procurement models (e.g., pre-commercial procurement) are rarely used, and tenders often prioritise cost over sustainability and innovation. We advocate for stronger integration of such criteria, adjusted financial and technical requirements to facilitate SME participation, and structured pathways to scale pilot projects into full public tenders. 4. Competition and fair procurement: Large firms continue to dominate procurement markets, with overly detailed specifications and high financial barriers limiting competition and preventing SMEs from applying even when their solutions are more innovative, cost-effective, and technically superior. We recommend ensuring tenders allow innovative and alternative solutions, and enhancing market engagement before launching procurement. 5. Coherence of procurement frameworks: Fragmentation in the implementation of procurement rules creates inconsistencies across the EU. This hinders cities from procuring sustainable solutions effectively. We call for better harmonisation of procurement procedures and clearer alignment with EU sustainability goals. 6. Resilience and crisis preparedness: Procurement rules lack flexibility for crisis situations, with lengthy procedures delaying the acquisition of essential goods and services. Supply chain disruptions have exposed Europes reliance on non-EU suppliers, particularly in critical mobility infrastructure. We propose fast-track procurement for emergencies, stronger supply chain resilience through EU-based suppliers, and increased SME participation in crisis procurement. To fully unlock public procurements potential, directives should be simplified and made more innovation-friendly. The framework must ensure a clear transition from publicly funded pilots to full-scale procurement, turning public investment in innovation into real market adoption.
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Meeting with Isabelle Vandoorne (Acting Head of Unit Mobility and Transport)

29 Jan 2025 · The visit to introduce interim CEO of EIT Urban Mobility (Mika Rytkönen) and continue dialogue on cooperation.

Meeting with Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)

16 Oct 2024 · Sustainable Urban Mobility in Europe

Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Ongoing transport, automotive topics

Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Executive Vice-President) and

15 Mar 2024 · Clean Transition Dialogue for Cities

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean)

19 Feb 2024 · Hyperloop, innovation, transport

Meeting with Simeona Manova (Cabinet of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira)

23 Jan 2024 · Presentation of EIT Urban Mobility’s work on the New European Bauhaus, clean transport, and with cities on their Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.

Meeting with Akvile Normantiene (Cabinet of Commissioner Iliana Ivanova)

28 Nov 2023 · key initiatives of EIT Urban Mobility

Meeting with Adina-Ioana Vălean (Commissioner) and

15 Nov 2023 · Urban Mobility

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean)

24 Oct 2023 · Urban mobility, startups

Meeting with Magda Kopczynska (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

4 Oct 2023 · Introductory meeting

Response to European Year of Skills 2023

14 Dec 2022

The EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) KICs (Knowledge and Innovation Communities) welcome 2023 as the European Year of Skills. The EIT KICs appreciate the European Unions intention to invest and catalyse efforts in education and lifelong learning. As EU partnerships invested in the creation of a European knowledge economy, EIT KICs are ready to contribute to a successful outcome of this initiative. They call for a greater, explicit recognition of the direct link between education, innovation and Europes competitiveness and for the acknowledgement of EITs role in achieving this endeavour. EIT KICs also caution about the need to earmark budget to fund dedicated action towards upskilling and reskilling for a successful outcome. EIT Urban Mobility is the leading European initiative for up-skilling and re-skilling professionals for tomorrow's urban transport challenges. Our Academy Competence Hub helps professionals develop their skills and improve their knowledge in all areas related to urban mobility. We leverage our growing network of experts (250+ top European companies, research institutions, consultancies, universities, and cities) to build relevant, trustworthy, and impact-oriented courses, methodologies, and learning communities. We cover urban mobility through more than 10 different angles, through a technical/technology angle (mobility data/digitalisation, future mobility, infrastructure, etc.), a socio-cultural focus (mobility for all, multimodality, public policy, etc.), and an environmental focus (liveable cities, active mobility, pollution reduction, etc.). By the end of 2022 we will have delivered more than 70 courses with over 500 registrations and 2000 completions in our applied and on-line courses. We look forward to the 2023 European Year of Skills as an opportunity to engage our community of education with the wider EU activities in this area and remain available for further cooperation and dialogue.
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Response to Creation of the Common European Mobility Data Space

7 Dec 2022

EIT Urban Mobility, the EIT co-funded, leading urban mobility knowledge and innovation community, welcomes the opportunity to respond to this Call for evidence and supports the European Commission's proposal for a European Mobility Data Space. Our feedback is included in the document attached.
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