On 23 April 2026 in Malmö, Sweden, EIT Urban Mobility held the first edition of a brand-new initiative: the EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue.
Bringing together over 30 representatives from cities, industry and, the Øresund Mission Cities Market Dialogue on Urban Freight and Logistics explored shared challenges and market opportunities in urban logistics.
Co-organised by EIT Urban Mobility together with the four Mission Cities of Malmö, Helsingborg, Copenhagen and Lund, the event piloted a new dialogue and networking format designed to strengthen collaboration between cities and market actors.
Emerging from collaboration
The idea for the EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue emerged from the Øresund Mission Cities Mobility Innovation Programme, a Danish-Swedish cross-border collaboration where participating cities met to identify common mobility challenges, exchange knowledge and explore opportunities for innovative solutions, all coordinated by EIT Urban Mobility.
As Björn Wickenberg, Urban Planner at City of Malmö, highlighted at the event on 23 April, the close geographical proximity of the cities creates a unique foundation for collaboration around specific mobility challenges:
“What is unique is that we have four Mission Cities located so close to each other.”
By working together, the cities can offer a broader range of testing environments for new solutions, helping innovators pilot and refine technologies across different urban contexts while fostering closer dialogue between public and private stakeholders.
“On a daily basis we are competing, but when sitting in a room like this, we are all in the same boat and face the same challenges,” noted Søren Hansen, Chief Consultant for Green Mobility at City of Copenhagen.
From policy to practical solutions
The EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue in Malmö combined expert presentations with interactive workshops, creating space for both strategic discussions and practical exchange. Topics included European policy developments, emerging trends in urban freight transport and initiatives supporting public-private data sharing.
Søren Hansen shared insights into Copenhagen’s ongoing efforts to improve data collaboration with the private sector, while Mattias Goldmann, Founder and CEO of 2030 Secretariat, presented Swedish perspectives on the electrification of light-duty vehicles.
In smaller workshop groups, participants examined barriers and opportunities for transforming urban logistics. Key challenges included limited opportunities to test and scale new solutions, and the need to make better use of existing assets, including public transport systems.
Discussions also highlighted the potential of AI-driven logistics, the importance of enabling regulation and the value of learning from successful international examples. Participants agreed that long-term planning and policy alignment will be essential to accelerating the transition towards more sustainable urban logistics systems.
Managing access and urban space
The growing pressure on urban space emerged as another central theme. Participants at the workshop pointed to the need for clearer frameworks governing kerbside access, cargo-bike classifications and charging infrastructure to support the evolving logistics landscape.
The discussions also underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between cities and businesses. While private actors play a key role in driving innovation and investment, participants emphasised the need for cities to adapt more quickly to emerging technologies and new business models.
A model for future dialogue
The first EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue demonstrated the value of creating a structured forum where public and private stakeholders can exchange perspectives, identify shared priorities and build partnerships around common challenges.
Following this successful pilot in Malmö, EIT Urban Mobility will continue developing and piloting the EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue concept throughout 2026, with the ambition of applying it to a broad range of mobility topics across the Nordic and Baltic region.
Interested in contributing on a topic for a future EIT Urban Mobility Market Dialogue? Get in touch with Innovation Hub North to learn more: [email protected].
