Timișoara, known as the Venice of Romania, also 2023 European Capital of Culture, has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for creativity, technology, and innovation. Its thriving startup scene openness to new collaborations, made it an ideal host for EIT Urban Mobility initiatives.

Two cornerstone events of the EIT Urban Mobility ecosystem came together in one inspiring week to showcase how collaboration, and entrepreneurship can transform the way Europe moves. Hosted in the vibrant city of Timișoara, the RIS Summit 2025 and the inVest Urban Mobility Demo Day gathered innovators, investors, and startups to advance the future of sustainable urban mobility.

Strengthening regional innovation: EIT Urban Mobility RIS Summit Timisoara

The Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) Summit is EIT Urban Mobility’s annual meeting point for partners and stakeholders from RIS countries — those regions strategically supported to strengthen their innovation capacity and integration within the broader EIT ecosystem.

Held on 21 October at Cowork Timisoara, the summit welcomed almost 50 participants representing the 11 EIT Urban Mobility Representatives.  

The event provided a collaborative space to:

• Align regional innovation strategies and share best practices across RIS countries
• Explore new partnership models
• Discuss pathways to scale mobility pilots and integrate innovative solutions within city infrastructures;
• Foster stronger synergies between EIT Urban Mobility programmes and regional development policies

The discussions highlighted the crucial role of the RIS partners as ambassadors of EIT Urban Mobility in their countries.

During 2024, the EIT Urban Mobility RIS Representatives network incorporated 4 new organic partners, 92 startups were supported, while 6 where created and 1 was invested. Also, thanks to our regional partners, 14 project proposals were selected for the Innovation Open Calls, and 1108 professionals were instructed in local trainings.

Exploring local innovation: Visit to AUMOVIO, the Qualification Laboratory for Urban Mobility

As part of the RIS Summit programme, participants visited Aumovio, the Qualification Laboratory for Urban Mobility located in Timișoara. 

AUMOVIO, former branch of Continental Group, is a cutting-edge testing and qualification centre dedicated to the development and validation of innovative mobility solutions — from autonomous driving technologies to intelligent traffic management systems. The facility acts as a bridge between research, testing, and deployment, enabling both start-ups and established companies to trial their innovations in real urban environments. 

During the visit, participants had the opportunity to explore AUMOVIO’s laboratories, simulation spaces, and test areas, gaining insight into how advanced mobility systems are evaluated before deployment in public settings. 

From Ideas to Market: The inVest Urban Mobility Demo Day 

Immediately following the Summit, on 22 October 2025, Timișoara became the stage for the inVest Urban Mobility Accelerator Demo Day, marking the conclusion of the programme’s first edition. 

The accelerator, financed by EIT Urban Mobility, co-financed by Agenția pentru Dezvoltare Regională Vest – ADR Vest; and implemented by Iceberg Plus  and Cowork Timisoara, supported startups developing innovative mobility solutions. Out of 51 applications received from across Europe, 14 startups were selected to join the six-month acceleration journey, receiving: 

During the Demo Day, the start-ups pitched their solutions to a panel of investors, mentors, and public-sector partners. The showcased innovations addressed key urban mobility challenges — from last-mile delivery and intelligent transport systems to micro mobility safety and green logistics.

The winners were: 

• ⁠BraveX Aero – fixed-wing VTOL drones for monitoring, surveillance, and search-and-rescue 
• Renter – accessible e-bike subscriptions for couriers, with GPS anti-theft, fast repairs, and battery-swap lockers 
•  LogzAI (Whisper) – AI-driven demand forecasting and route optimisation for urban logistics 

Beyond the podium, every team gained funding for development, hands-on mentorship, and a public stage to engage cities in the West Region for pilots.  

The second part of the programme will be deployed and cofunded by the Agenția pentru Dezvoltare Regională Vest – ADR Vest,   with two new funding instruments: a business accelerator and a Venture Capital fund. 

The event also served as a catalyst for networking and collaboration. Representatives from municipalities, venture capital funds, and corporate innovation teams joined to explore pilot opportunities and discuss how to bring these start-up solutions to the streets of Romanian cities. 

Connecting the dots 

Hosting both the RIS Summit and Demo Day in Timișoara — and integrating the AUMOVIO visit — created a powerful ecosystem narrative that spans the entire innovation chain: 

• Ecosystem building (RIS Summit): Strengthening the capacity of regional innovation actors, cities, and research institutions to collaborate effectively. 
• Technology qualification (AUMOVIO): Testing, validating, and certifying new mobility solutions to ensure safety and readiness for deployment. 
• Entrepreneurship and scaling (inVest Demo Day): Supporting start-ups to grow, secure funding, and bring their innovations to market. 

This holistic approach reflects EIT Urban Mobility’s mission to connect innovation stakeholders and drive tangible impact across Europe. By supporting regional ecosystems like Timișoara’s, EIT Urban Mobility continues to deliver on its mission to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable and liveable cities, ensuring that innovation reaches every corner of Europe. 

Explore how your organisation can participate in the RIS Programme.