‘EIT Urban Mobility: Together for more liveable urban spaces in Slovenia’. Under this motto,  Innovation Hub Central, one of the five Innovation Hubs of EIT Urban Mobility, has organised an event in Ljubljana on 28 October 2021, with the participation of mobility-related stakeholders, partners and potential partners not only from Slovenia, but also from Croatia.

The event was included in the official list of events organised in the framework of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and it was organised in cooperation with the Slovenian Business and Research Association (SBRA) and RIS Hub Slovenia.

At the beginning of the day, a warm welcome was given by the Dean of the School of Economics and Business of the University of Ljubljana, Metka Tekavčič, and the EIT Urban Mobility CEO, Maria Tsavachidis, who highlighted some of the challenges faced by urban mobility nowadays and the importance of the European collaboration in general, and with Slovenia in particular.

High-level representatives from Slovenian authorities also participated as speakers, the Deputy Mayors of three Slovenian cities: Ljubljana, Dejan Crnek, Maribor, Samo Peter Medved, and Kranj, Janez Čeme and Polona Demsar Mitrovic, Slovenian coordinator of the European Mobility Week, in the name of the Slovenian Minister of Infrastructure. They all shared their views on the importance of urban mobility and EU cooperation for Slovenia and its largest cities.

Following these introductory speeches, an interactive discussion was organised among Romana Jordan, Board member of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the EIT Urban Mobility CEO, Maria Tsavachidis and the Innovation Hub Central Director, Judith O’Meara. Among the topics discussed were the role of EIT, the synergies between the different European, national and regional initiatives boosting innovation or the potential collaboration amongst the diverse Innovation Communities of EIT.

The set-up and the role of EIT Urban Mobility Innovation Hubs and the integration of the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) were highlighted, as well as the potential opportunities for Slovenian organisation from cities, universities, industry and start-ups within the different thematic programmes. These opportunities were further explored during workshops on Innovation, Business Creation and Academy in which Slovenian stakeholders had the opportunity to present themselves and their good practices in urban mobility. In the course of the event, a small ceremony was organised to award the winning of the start-up competition organised by RIS Hub Slovenia.

Thanks to this event, interested Slovenian organisations discovered or learnt more about EIT Urban Mobility, its objectives and activities in view of strengthening our partner community in the country.