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- The project is the result of EIT Urban Mobility’s Targeted call, a programme that allows to respond rapidly to new or developing challenges and to upcoming technical challenges
- The EU-Propel project takes the AIT’s Current open innovation programme, Propulse, to the next level, facilitating that the 3 winning startups could test their solutions on real environments.
- The French cities of Paris, Nevers, Rouen and Toulouse hosted the pilot test of the winning solutions.
France, 31st January 2025 – Collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial for promoting sustainable urban mobility solutions. As European Union member states strive for better alignment between European and national initiatives, EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union has co-funded the EU-Propel project. The project was developed as a result of EIT Urban Mobility’s Targeted Call and in collaboration with l’Agence des Innovations pour les Transports (AIT) with the goal of creating effective collaboration channels with existing national, regional, and city open innovation programmes.
EU-Propel (also known as EU-Propulse), led by the Agence de l’Innovation pour les Transports (AIT), brings together three graduate startups from the open innovation programme Propulse, along with innovation consultancy Bax & Company and a large network of EU cities, to tackle car-dependency issues in logistics, commuting and leisure.
Thanks to the EU-Propel project, the winning startups of the Propulse programme—Ynstant, 1KM à Pied, and Deki— were granted with the advantages of EIT Urban Mobility’s Targeted call, gaining exclusive access to test and implement their solutions in selected French cities, which act as living laboratories and provide real-world environments that allow the startups to refine their innovations and showcase their potential impact.
- French Startup Deki optimises last mile delivery to enable urban logistics free from greenhouse gas emissions, congestion and pollutants in the metropolis of Rouen and Toulouse;
- French Startup 1km à Pied reduces unnecessary car commutes by reallocating multisite employees closer to their home in the metropole of Rouen;
- French Startup Ynstant fights low car occupancy by offering an instant carpooling solution in the urban agglomerations of Paris-Saclay and Nevers.
During the last week of January 2025, the EU-Propel project hosted successful presentations in the French cities of Paris-Saclay, Nevers, Rouen, and Toulouse. These cities, as hosts, played a crucial role in the project, providing real-world environments for the startups to showcase their potential impact on local urban challenges.
In addition to the startup’s demonstration, representatives from each host city also participated, sharing their perspectives on how the programme aligns with local priorities and addressing questions from attendees. These collaborative events not only highlighted the programme’s potential but also reinforced the importance of partnerships between innovative enterprises and local authorities in driving sustainable urban development.
“This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and creating smarter, more sustainable urban environments,” says María Paula Caycedo, Head of EIT Urban Mobility’s Innovation hub South. “By enabling startups to test their solutions in diverse urban settings, we are paving the way for scalable and impactful mobility innovations.”
Programmes like EIT Urban Mobility’s Targeted call facilitate developing and implementing new urban mobility solutions. By aligning goals and leveraging shared resources, promote a collaboration that fosters scalable and inclusive solutions necessary for sustainable urban mobility and aligns with broader European objectives of reducing carbon emissions, enhancing accessibility, and improving the overall quality of urban life.
EU-PROPEL project lasts 12 months and is granted with a total of €400,472.
