EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU, is proud to announce its partnership with the city of Heraklion and Civinet Greece-Cyprus, the network of Greek cities for mobility, to address urban mobility challenges.

This collaboration will bring a total of 13 innovative bike stations throughout the city at the end of November. An event to showcase the new biking facilities will take place Sunday 3 December at 11.00 a.m., at Georgiadis Park. Join the event: National innovation for cycling in Heraklion.

In the wake of the European Union’s recent Declaration on Cycling, announced just a few weeks ago as a major push for cycling across Europe, our partnership with the city of Heraklion takes on even greater significance. Heraklion is one of the leading Greek cities when it comes to the pedestrianization of the city centre, which in recent years has encouraged more pedestrian and bicycle travel. The city centre is a circle of approximately 350m radius and mostly pedestrianized. For this reason, the city believes it could encourage more commuters to use their bike or kick scooter instead of their private car when accessing to the city centre.

Exploring solutions, Heraklion is embarking on a strategic initiative to establish micro-mobility hubs throughout the city. As the largest city in Crete and the fourth-largest in Greece, with a population of around 174,000 residents (surging to nearly 1 million during the summer), Heraklion is dedicated to providing its citizens and visitors with safe, convenient locations to park their bicycles and e-bikes after their journeys.

At its core, this project aims to elevate active mobility, with a particular focus on micro-mobility and bike-mobility. The objective is to deploy secure and sustainable infrastructure for bike and kickscooter parking at strategically selected points throughout the city. These hubs, featuring a flexible modular design accommodating 4 to 10 bicycles and e-bikes, cater to both spontaneous parking and charging requirements for registered users. These infrastructure enhancements are envisioned to enhance the overall quality of life for Heraklion’s residents, contribute meaningfully to climate change mitigation efforts, and foster a more robust and dependable urban mobility sector. Two innovative solution providers have been selected for funding in this project:

• Rastel.io will deliver 10 units to be installed outside of the old town. These smart and secure bike parking hubs come equipped with e-bike charging capabilities and can be accessed through the Rastel.io mobile app.
• DonCicleto will provide 3 units to be installed in the old town. The Bikehangar, their modular and scalable bike and scooter parking solution, offers protection against vandalism, inclement weather, and theft.

Installation of these units is taking place during the month of November, with the facilities set to be operational by the end of November.

Safe bike parking facilities will encourage more cyclists to use e-bikes, which is expected to increase the number of cyclists for long peri-urban distance trips and trips to uphill destinations. This pilot implementation is funded for a period of six months. The success of these pilot installations will be evaluated at the end of the six-month period to gauge their effectiveness and assess the potential benefits of a long-term implementation of the tested solutions.

Vassilis Lambrinos, Mayor of Heraklion said: “We are participating in this initiative with the aim to encourage more people to choose the bicycle as a means of transportation. The promotion of Sustainable Mobility is always a policy priority for us.”

Gareth Macnaughton, Director of the Innovation at EIT Urban Mobility said: “EIT Urban Mobility is thrilled to collaborate with the city of Heraklion to tackle urban mobility challenges. We are proud to work with innovative solution providers Rastel.io and DonCicleto, whose leading solutions focus attention on Heraklion. These pilot installations will pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient urban mobility future in Heraklion.”

Maria-Paula Caycedo, Head of Innovation for Hub South: “Collaborating with Heraklion to implement the project will lead to many benefits. The programme allows a pilot fostering innovation and support the sustainable urban development of the city. EIT Urban Mobility is working in collaboration with cities like Heraklion to further foster Greece and Europe’s dynamic mobility development landscape.”

With increasing urbanization and the associated rise in population in urban areas, decarbonization of cities has become an ever-growing challenge. In this context and given the unprecedented levels of pollutants generated by urban traffic, IMAGINEXT is validating a Software as a Service Solution that uses Artificial Intelligence to explore how certain mobility strategies and sustainable transport measures affect air quality. The sensors for this were set up in Lindau on Lake Constance, Germany and in Cartagena, Spain.

An event of the IMAGINEXT project took place in Lindau, on the 25th of October, where all project partners met in person for the first time, including the project leaders from Spain and Germany showcasing how collaboration can work on a European level.

The IMAGINEXT project is co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. The pilot project aims to combat air pollution caused by mobility. The project represents innovative approaches in different areas of sustainable mobility and aims to have a positive impact on the community.

“Mobility research is a central part of our daily work; our main focus is to use our expertise and resources to promote innovation and progress within logistics and mobility. The cooperation within IMAGINEXT opens up another possibility for us to develop groundbreaking solutions that positively influence the design and optimisation of decision-making processes. Thus we want to contribute to sustainable mobility itself. With projects like IMAGINEXT, we want to encourage and foster collaboration between governments, urban planners, research / academia and industry. We are looking forward to the cooperation and the achievement of more sustainable and socially acceptable mobility in urban environments.” emphasises Prof. Dr. Uwe Clausen, Director of Fraunhofer-Institute for Materialflow and Logistics (IML).

Situated at the Lake Constance in Bavaria, Lindau is located in an island where several mobility strategic planning processes have been carried out and decided upon in recent years, such as the reconstruction of normal Street in to Cycling streets. Lindau has been therefore a perfect location for IMAGINEXT. The pilot has been undertaken during the reconstruction of their Cycling Streets, so the AQ can be measured before and after the reconstruction.

“We are pleased that Lindau is part of the IMAGINEXT research project. We hope that the project results will enable us to measure the impact of our mobility measures and thus promote sustainable mobility on site in a targeted manner. Only in this way is it possible for us as a city to make traffic more environmentally friendly in the long term and to introduce new mobility solutions and technologies for citizens and guests. Networking with other innovation actors at EU level is an important part of this.” says Lindau’s Major Dr. Claudia Alfons.

During the event, experts and project managers explained the current status of IMAGINEXT and pointed out initial results and successes. The participants of the event also visited together the new bicycle lane at Bregenzer Str., which was equipped with one of the sensors.

IMAGINEXT is a project under the support of EIT Urban Mobility.

• Jordi Casas Juan, City Development Manager at the Innovation Hub South, explains how EIT Urban Mobility supports cities in delivering their sustainable urban mobility strategies in an interview with Hub Cities.
• EIT Urban Mobility collaborates with more than 60 cities across Europe in developing and implementing their sustainable mobility plans
• Developed by EIT Urban Mobility, City Club is a platform for cities to collaborate, sharing best practices, upscaling ideas, and putting them to work. The club also serves as a sounding board for citizens and a means of outreach.
• Watch the full interview HERE

EIT Urban Mobility supports cities in delivering their sustainable urban mobility strategies by providing resources, expertise, funding, and collaboration opportunities. By leveraging innovation and knowledge-sharing, we help cities progress toward more sustainable, efficient, and accessible urban transportation systems.  But, how do we develop and implement our support?

• Innovation and Research: EIT Urban Mobility fosters innovation and research in urban mobility. Our collaboration with academic institutions, startups, and established companies allows us to develop and test new mobility solutions, technologies, and business models that can help cities achieve their sustainability goals.
• Education and Training: Through educational programmes and training opportunities for urban mobility professionals, decision-makers, and stakeholders. These programmes help cities build capacity and expertise in designing and implementing sustainable mobility solutions. – eiturbanmobility.eu/academy/
• Living Labs: EIT Urban Mobility creates living labs in cities across Europe. These living labs serve as test beds for innovative mobility solutions, allowing cities to pilot and evaluate modern technologies and approaches in real-world urban environments. – eiturbanmobility.eu/city-club/mobility-living-labs/
• Public-Private Partnerships: EIT Urban Mobility facilitates collaboration between public and private sector entities. Bringing together various stakeholders encourages the development of public-private partnerships that can finance and implement sustainable mobility projects.
• Knowledge Sharing: exchanging knowledge and best practices among cities.
• Funding and Grants: EIT Urban Mobility provides funding and grants to support innovative mobility projects in cities. This financial support can help cities implement sustainable mobility solutions and infrastructure improvements.
• Policy Support: EIT Urban Mobility works closely with cities to align their mobility strategies with European Union policies and sustainability objectives. It provides policy guidance and recommendations to help cities develop effective and sustainable urban mobility plans.
• Data and Analytics:  we support cities in collecting and analysing data related to urban mobility. Data-driven insights can help cities make informed decisions and optimise their transportation systems for sustainability and efficiency.
• Advocacy and Awareness: EIT Urban Mobility advocates for sustainable urban mobility at the European level and raises awareness about the importance of transitioning to cleaner, more efficient transportation systems.

The Municipality of Braga has launched the “Reactivity Braga – Diversity and Sustainability” initiative to encourage Braga residents to embrace more sustainable, inclusive, and eco-friendly transportation options. In return, citizens can accrue points to exchange for discounts at local businesses.

This represents an innovative intermodal urban mobility project supported and promoted by EIT Urban Mobility, in collaboration with Braga Urban Transport (TUB) and the Business Association of Braga. The project hinges on a reward and gamification system, where users are incentivised to choose public transportation, bicycles, electric scooters, or walking for their commutes.

This approach makes the mobility experience more appealing and enjoyable, motivating citizens to adopt more mindful and sustainable transportation practices.

The project began on 10 August and is slated to run for three months. To participate, Braga residents need to complete a specific form. Upon registration approval, users can access an online platform to track their performance, view accumulated points, and observe their contributions to promoting sustainable mobility in Braga.

During the project’s presentation press conference, Olga Pereira, Braga’s City Councillor and President of the Board of Directors of TUB, remarked that this initiative is part of ongoing efforts to transform the mobility habits of Braga residents toward sustainability: “Reactivity Braga follows the success of last year’s Bicification project, which inspired us to apply for this new project in partnership with TUB. Reactivity relies on buses as the core component but also encourages walking, cycling, and scooting.”

“The great thing about the REACTIVITY project is its intermodal approach, which combines different modes of transport to offer citizens flexible and convenient options for their daily journeys,” explained Olga Pereira, Braga City Council councillor. By integrating public transport with bicycles and electric scooters, the project extends the reach of public transport stops, providing citizens with more comprehensive and accessible mobility throughout the city. “The municipality remains committed to working in favour of more sustainable mobility in the municipality, which benefits everyone’s quality of life,” said the councillor.

REACTIVITY promotes sustainable mobility through a unique reward and gamification component. By participating in the project, users can accumulate points and achieve goals by opting for more sustainable modes of transport.  With the project’s rewards and gamification mechanism, users can win vouchers, which can be discounted at various commercial establishments that are partners of the initiative. Around 30 shops are already involved, but the aim is to extend this range to a more significant number of establishments. “We started out with around 30 shops, but given the extraordinary receptiveness of local businesses, the aim is to increase the number of shops involved significantly,” said Rui Marques, AEB’s director-general.

Local traders joining the REACTIVITY project represents a unique opportunity to boost their businesses and establishments. By joining the network of partners that accept vouchers generated by users, shops have access to greater visibility and attract customers. In this way, traders not only benefit from increased customer flow, but also contribute to a more sustainable and dynamic city.
Over the next three months, Braga’s people can participate in this pioneering initiative. Through the online platform dedicated to the project, citizens can monitor their performance, accumulate points and check their contribution to more sustainable mobility in Braga.

About REACTIVITY

The REACTIVITY project rewards public transport and active mobility to reduce emissions; backs data-driven urban; and traffic planning and engaging with citizens, thus helping cities promote sustainable mobility and intramodality while discouraging car dependence.

This project meets the needs of city managers for digital tools to enable urban multi-modal and multi-source mobility planning, providing a solution to support intermodal transport, including public transport, cycling, walking, kick-scooters, and car-pooling. The mobility monitoring support is achieved through an active mobility plugin integrated in a multi-data source web dashboard.

The solutions will be implemented and tested in Braga (Portugal) and Lecce (Italy) during the second half of 2023. The expected outcomes of REACTIVITY are an increased share of public transport (+6%) and active mobility (+ 15%) and the reduction of kilometres driven by private cars (-2.5 M) and of CO2 emissions (-320 tons) in each city.

Discover more: reactivity-eit.eu

EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the EU, announces its active participation in the upcoming European Mobility Week. This collaborative initiative by the European Commission brings together communities, cities, and organisations across Europe to drive the sustainable and inclusive transformation of urban transportation systems. With the urgent need to address climate change and expedite our journey towards “saving energy”, this week shines light on pressing topics. 

The European Green Deal, a cornerstone of Europe’s commitment to environmental sustainability, has set an ambitious target of achieving a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. To realise this ambitious goal, it is essential to reimagine urban mobility, making it more sustainable, inclusive, and seamlessly integrated. Cities are the frontrunners of the green transition, with the power to make transformative changes such as cycling infrastructure, reallocation of public space, low emission zones, and parking regulations. During the European Mobility week, it is almost 3,000 towns and cities encourage behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport, and other clean, intelligent transport solutions by organising awareness-raising activities and events with local stakeholders. 

Within its activity to find sustainability solutions in the transport sector, EIT Urban Mobility is developing its activity as an impact venture investor. EIT Urban mobility has joined up the third annual report from European Women in Venture Capital (VC) and is publishing a new report on the Gender diversity in European Venture Capital Firms. Despite the fact that funds with a higher representation of female managers exhibit higher returns, gender gaps are still an issue in European VC firms. A combined desk and research survey of 558 European VC firms and 104 European VC, showed that in 2023 only 16% of general partners (GPs) are women, compared to 15% in 2022. Other key results can be consulted.  

As part of the European Mobility Week, EIT Urban Mobility will actively participate in a series of initiatives: 

• “Parking Day”: EIT Urban Mobility will organise and participate in various “Parking Day” events across Europe in cities including Barcelona, Spain; Siggiewi, Malta; Lisbon, Portugal, and Greece. A parking space is about 15m² large. This makes it bigger than many children’s rooms. The organisation of a day to reclaim the parking space or a car-free day, allows to raise awareness on street use and space cars take in European cities.  
• Events Across Europe: Join EIT Urban Mobility in various physical events across Europe, including the EIT Open Day in Norway, Urban Mobility Day at Slovakia Tech, and INVENTO MeetUp in Zagreb. 
• New Mobility Congress: EIT Urban Mobility will play a pivotal role as a key partner at the New Mobility Congress 2023, taking place from September 26 to 28 at the EXPO Lodz space in Poland. This is the fourth edition of the largest conference in Poland and Central-Eastern Europe dedicated to the development of the sustainable transportation market. 
• EIT Urban Mobility offers a range of online training courses to empower individuals and professionals to contribute to sustainable urban mobility solutions. 
  • EIT Urban Mobility Professional Training Catalogue (E-Courses): A range of e-courses are available online, free to complete (with certificates available at a nominal fee), covering various aspects of urban mobility. 
  • MASTERCOM Training Programme: Developed to prepare professionals of private and public companies to develop, manage, communicate, and implement effective travel plans, MASTERCOM provides up-to-date knowledge, expert guidance, best practices, and access to a practical ToolKit. 
  • Girls go Circular: project where 14–19-year-old girls are picking up digital and entrepreneurial skills. EIT Urban Mobility has coordinated the development of the module on “Sustainable Mobility for Circular and Inclusive Cities”, available for free at the Girls Go Circular platform. 20 000 girls will have completed the training by end of 2022. It is already available in 13 countries and now also available in Ukrainian. 
• Urban Mobility Explained (UMX): Since September 2022, UMX has been providing educational videos on the latest topics in urban mobility, offering thought-provoking perspectives and key competencies required for the successful delivery of urban mobility solutions. A new video is published every Tuesday. 

Every year, from 16 – 22 September, the European Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign European Mobility Week on sustainable urban mobility invites towns and cities from across Europe, and beyond, to participate in the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. The annual theme for 2023 is ‘Save energy’. For more information about EIT Urban Mobility and its initiatives during the European Mobility Week, please visit EUROPEAN MOBILITY WEEK |  Home. 

Rapid environmental changes are impacting our cities and require rapid and innovative actions. The Rapid Applications for Transport (RAPTOR) Programme seeks to do so via its agile competition. The RAPTOR competition matches European cities facing urban mobility challenges with start-ups with innovative mobility solutions. While each of the city challenges and proposed solutions are different, the common theme woven throughout is the urgency of the transition to more sustainable transport. 

And the 2023 start-ups with innovative mobility solutions are…

EIT Urban Mobility is excited to announce the winning start-ups/SMEs of the 2023 RAPTOR Competition. Over 150 applications were received for the 12 city challenges. Following a rigorous two-phase evaluation process, we are pleased to present the 12 winners: Meep, Instant System, Hergele, Kentyou, Chargeprice, Asistobe, Rastel.io, Kobla, Nudgd, Everimpact, Transcality and Lokit!   

Following the agile methodology of the programme, the projects will kick off in August and run until December 2023. During these 5 months, winners will work closely with their respective city. Firstly the innovative start-up solutions for mobility challenges will need to be developed and tailored to the city specific requirements. Then they will be tested and validated in real-life demonstrations.   

What are the innovative mobility start-up solutions?

City of Ajka, Hungary + Meep

Every day around half of the population of the city of Ajka, commute to its centre. The insufficient and unreliable public transport routes contribute to the high congestion rates caused by car usage. Consequently this creates a disruption to mobility flows in the city. Spanish SME Meep will work with the City of Ajka to increase the use of public transport by improving the reliability and experience of public transport. They will do so by providing real-time information to users and enhancing communication with citizens. 

City of Akureyri, Iceland + Instant System

Despite a free public bus system, citizens of Akureyri prefer to travel by private car. The city is seeking to enhance intermodality between the public buses and micromobility solutions to promote modal shift to more sustainable transport. French SME Instant System will pilot its MaaS platform to provide users the best journey combinations of public transport, personal bike and shared mobility. Information on the CO2 emissions on these journeys compared to use of a car, will work to incentivise users.  

City of Ankara, Türkiye + Hergele

Capital city Ankara, is facing challenges in optimising the field operations of their electric bike sharing system. With more than 500 bikes and 40 charging stations, route optimisation of the bicycle maintenance vehicles via an integrated software is required for efficient and smart management. Turkish start-up Hergele will develop the route optimisation features of its Opp app which acts as a bridge between management and staff. The app provides an extensive micro-mobility fleet management solution by automating processes, facilitating communication, and providing real-time tracking and data analysis for informed and effective decision making.  

Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Spain + Kentyou

The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona is facing challenges in getting the most value from data collected by their own app monitoring loading/unloading zones, to make data-driven decisions. French start-up Kentyou will demo its holistic data platform, AI-powered data analytics tool, and a visualisation and decision-making tool. The solution will provide forecasting of parking demand or occupancy, routing optimisation, and traffic management recommendations.  

Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark + Chargeprice

The Capital Region of Denmark is working to electrify 1.5 million vehicles by 2030. Thus the accessibility and transparency of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is key. The price of EV charging in the region is regulated by the charging operators, each with their own pricing policy and app. Therefore charging can vary significantly depending on the time of day, type of charging station, operator, and roaming policies. French start-up Chargeprice, will pilot its EV charging price comparator which precisely calculates and predicts charging prices among the thousands of charging operators in Europe. Consequently, the app allows EV drivers to find the best charging station and prices based on personal choices.  

City of Debrecen, Hungary + Asistobe

Like many cities, Debrecen faces challenges caused by the extreme growth of car traffic. Norwegian start-up Asistobe will work with the city to create an optimised, sustainable transport network that connects low-density areas. By using mobile network data, historical public transport data, and demographic data, Asistobe will create a predictive model of the transport demand. As a result, Asistobe’s AI and machine learning algorithms, will propose the optimal intermodal transport systems, including organisation, capacity, routes, and timetables.  

City of Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia + Rastel.io

The central city of Dubnica nad Váhom, is in the process of developing its first bicycle infrastructure and a strategic approach to increase modal share. One of the challenges they face is to provide safe and accessible infrastructure for bicycle users. Addressing this challenge, Romanian start-up Rastel.io will pilot its modular, smart, and secure bike parking units which have a digital twin for real-time data. Additionally, the solar powered parking units are accessible through an app which can enable 3^rd party organisations to reward active mobility.  

The Hague, Netherlands + Kobla

Norwegian start-up Kobla will pilot an incentive system that validates the use of public or shared transportation for travel to Scheveningen Beach, and offers a variety of rewards. Accordingly, Kobla’s solution will promote more sustainable travel to the beach and reduce traffic congestion issues, key elements of the challenge faced by the Hague.  

City of Helsingborg, Sweden + Nudgd

Winning local start-up Nudgd will work alongside the City of Helsingborg to increase cycling rates using its Smart Nudges platform. Specifically Nudgd will develop a school-focused version of the platform, using behavioural science and nudging techniques to encourage active mobility. The digital platform targets parents, children, and school staff, offering personalised interventions and soft incentives. 

City of Mechelen, Belgium + Everimpact

The city of Mechelen is undertaking an ambitious transition to zero-emission city logistics by 2030. In order to achieve this target, the city requires a data-based solution to monitor interventions. Selected winner, French based SME Everimpact, will test 15 IoT sensors. Specifically these sensors will provide real-time data on CO2 emissions from freight transportation. Thereafter, allowing for powerful insights, informed decision-making, and targeted interventions.  

City of Munich, Germany + Transcality

The city of Munich faces the challenge of understanding the travel behaviour of the ever-increasing number of inhabitants and commuters. Zurich start-up Transcality will implement a digital twin to leverage advanced data analytics and multimodal traffic simulation. Thus providing the City of Munich with a profound understanding of its citizens mobility patterns. 

Stuttgart Region, Germany + LOKIT

For the Stuttgart Region, Italian start-up LOKIT will pilot secure universal micro mobility charging stations. These stations will contribute to diversifying sustainable transportation options to relieve congestion at large events. 

We look forward to sharing upcoming news about their solution development from August to December 2023. 

Are you a city* with a mobility challenge? Do you have an innovative start-up^ solution for mobility challenges? Contact us via our contact form or head to our website https://raptorproject.eu/ for more information on RAPTOR, past and present.

Learn more about the opportunities available for start-ups via the Impact Ventures and Innovation programmes.

*City must be located within an EU member state or third country associated to Horizon Europe.  

^Start-up/SME must be registered within an EU member state or third country associated to Horizon Europe.

#ChallengeMyCity is a programme enabling European cities to tackle their most pressing urban challenges by testing market-ready innovative mobility solutions.   

#ChallengeMyCity´s objective is to test the best solutions through a six-month pilot and evaluates their social, economic, and environmental impact and estimate long-term integration into the city´s mobility strategy, to make mobility more sustainable and accessible for all.  

#ChallengeMyCity 2023  

This year’s edition of #ChallengeMyCity is dedicated to the cities of Braga (Portugal), Larissa (Greece), and Heraklion (Greece), and divided into 3 cut-off dates (see below Call Summary table). Each city has identified a set of mobility challenges and is seeking solutions from businesses and entrepreneurs who can provide innovative proposals to tackle them.   

#ChallengeMyCity provides enterprises of all types and sizes with a market-ready solutions with the opportunity to grow their successful business ventures and scale up their products and services.   

Benefits for selected solutions   

• Up to €60 000 in funding to implement a six-month pilot in real conditions  
• Support to implementation by EIT Urban Mobility and city officers   
• Networking opportunities with public administration and other innovators   
• Promotion through the Mobility Innovation Marketplace by EIT Urban Mobility  

Brief description of the challenges: 

The Greek cities of Heraklion and Larissa are seeking solutions to the urban mobility challenges they face. The best solutions to three challenges per city will be awarded implementation of the pilots. Find below a brief description of each challenge: 

Heraklion (Greece)  

• Challenge: Creating micromobility hubs through secure bicycle parkings 

The city of Heraklion strives to implement safe and secured bicycle parking with the possibility of charging e-bikes, located in a strategic point where the users, after finishing their trips, can park their bike safely to walk or use the public transport. The ideal flexible modular solution could be spread around the city and accommodate (each one) a small number (10-30) of bikes and e-bikes for both spontaneous parking and charging during the day by the registered users of the scheme. 

• Challenge: Management and control of parking spaces for persons with reduced mobility (PRM) and logistics 

The desired solution should enable PRM residents and visitors, and truck drivers, to book a parking spot. It should also facilitate the movement of people with disabilities and encourage their integration and equal participation in the life of the city by informing them in real time about the next free parking spot. It should also facilitate the everyday work of the delivery companies and the shop owners, by avoiding illegal parking of trucks in random and not appropriate places for parking.  

• Challenge: Control of motorised vehicle access in the pedestrianised area of the city centre 

The city is looking for a technology solution through which it can control the city’s entry points and/or exit points of the central pedestrianised area. The solution implementing the Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs) should allow the city to grant the permissions to an authorized driver to enter the area during certain time slots. The control of the entry and exit points should not rely on the involvement of the police in the enforcement of the regulation. 

• Challenge: Electric-powered micro-vehicle for PRM passengers’ mobility in the pedestrianised city centre 

Heraklion is interested in piloting a new mobility option friendly both to people and the environment, operating in slow speed (up to 25 kilometres per hour) and allowing ride-hailing anywhere on the street. Smart or conventional telephone ordering should also be an option. This vehicle should be operated by a professional driver (city employee or employee of a private organisation, e.g. the Urban Public Transport Operator) and have capacity of 5 passengers without wheelchairs, or less passengers with wheelchairs. 

Larissa (Greece)  

• Challenge: Creating micromobility hubs through secure bicycle parkings 

The city of Larissa strives to implement safe and secured bicycle parking with the possibility of charging e-bikes, located in a strategic point where the users, after finishing their trips, can park their bike safely to walk or use the public transport. Safe bike parking facilities will encourage more cyclists to use e-bikes, which is expected to increase the number of cyclists for long peri-urban distance trips and trips to uphill destinations. 

• Challenge:  Collection of environmental and traffic data 

The city of Larissa is looking into the use of smart devices to be installed close to schools and hospitals and also less sensitive locations to measure and compare the level of environmental pollution (air and noise) and traffic flows. The collection of relevant environmental and traffic data by smart devices will enable the city to take informed decisions and to re-shape urban mobility based on minimizing the harmful effects. 

• Challenge:  Management and control of parking spaces for PRM  

Unauthorized parking causes major accessibility issues for PRM. The desired solution should enable holders of blue cards (PRM residents in Larissa) and visitors with reduced mobility to book a parking spot. It should furthermore facilitate the movement of people with disabilities and encourages their integration and equal participation in the life of the city by informing them in real time about the next free parking spot. 

Find more detail about each challenge in Call Manual (link below).  

Requirements  

• All types of companies located in a Member State of the European Union or from Third Country associated to Horizon Europe that can present solutions to the challenges mentioned below are invited to participate.   
• The proposal shall be in line with the Vision and Mission of the EIT Urban Mobility Strategic Agenda.  
• The solutions/product should bring novelty and being results-focused.   

• The solution should propose a financial sustainability mechanism to the EIT UM.   
• The solution shall be at least TRL-7 and present a letter of recommendation from a previous pilot implementation.  

We look forward to receiving your applications!   

Contact details   

Online info session   

An information session was held on 19 April to offered to provide in-depth details on the call’s aim and objectives, local challenges, and the general procedure. It also included a Q&A for participants to address any queries.  

Watch here:

Call summary