15 to 18 June in Hamburg, Germany  

EIT Urban Mobility Booth Hall 1, Booth A1440  

EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, will attend and co-organise key sessions at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2025.  

EIT Urban Mobility will spotlight the role of public transport as the cornerstone of sustainable urban mobility. EIT Urban Mobility—together with Transport for London and the Greater London Authority—just published a study on non-exhaust emissions (NEEs). The research reveals that NEEs (particles from brakes, tyres, and road wear) are now the primary source of particulate pollution from road transport. Based on London as a case study, NEEs account for up to 88% of PM10 and 78% of PM2.5 emissions. These findings highlight a critical blind spot in current transport policy: electric vehicles still pollute—not from the tailpipe, but from wear-and-tear. The most effective strategy remains reducing car use altogether making a compelling case for prioritising public and active transport in policy and funding. The study is available for comments at the EIT Urban Mobility booth.  

Beyond environmental and health impacts, public transport also delivers strong returns: a 2024 cost-benefit analysis performed by EIT Urban Mobility shows that every €1 invested returns up to €2.50 in public health, reduced emissions, and social equity benefits. (Cost and Benefit of the urban mobility transition study 2024) 

EIT Urban Mobility’s key activities at UITP Summit 

• Conference Session: “How Public and Private Collaboration Can Foster Public Transport Innovation” Monday 16 June, 11:30–12:30, Expo Session B (Hall A4) 
• Side Event: Project UPPER Showcase Monday 16 June, 16:30–17:15, UITP Booth 
  Discover UPPER (Unleashing the Potential of Public Transport in Europe), a Horizon Europe-funded project supported by EIT Urban Mobility and UITP, which aims to increase public transport use by over 30% in 10 cities through 84 tested policy and service measures. 

Innovation in action 

EIT Urban Mobility supports over 450 startups and over 300 pilots aimed at reducing car dependency and elevating public and active transport. Several of these will be showcased at UITP: 

• Karos (France): A carpooling app turning empty car seats into shared transport solutions. Now piloted in several countries, Karos reduces commuting emissions and costs, connecting workers to industrial zones in a sustainable way. 
• Meep (Spain): A MaaS (Mobility as a Service) platform simplifying multimodal journeys across transit modes—from buses to bike-sharing—into a single app. Meep helps users break find sustainable alternatives from car dependence. 
• PANTOhealth (Germany): Using AI-driven monitoring to detect faults in railway overhead lines and pantographs, PANTOhealth reduces maintenance costs and extends infrastructure life. Already scaling in Spain, and expanding in Italy, this rail-tech solution supports the most emission-efficient mode of urban transport. 
• Parabol (Türkiye): A mobility intelligence company offering smart, data-driven tools to help cities optimise transport systems. With support from EIT Urban Mobility through the ScaleTHENGlobal programme and a 2023 startup investment, Parabol expanded across Europe and MENA, deploying scenario-based planning tools in cities like Antalya and Modena. Their solutions help authorities adapt public transport services to real-time demand, improving sustainability, efficiency, and inclusiveness. 
• Nemi (Spain): Nemi enables flexible, on-demand public transport in low-density areas through a software solution that improves service reliability and vehicle occupancy. With EIT Urban Mobility support—including participation in the Better Mobility Accelerator—Nemi has launched 11 new services in Spain and Italy, including rural, night bus, and coastal shuttle routes. It is now the reference tool for planning and operating demand-responsive public transit, reducing car reliance in underserved regions.