EIT Urban Mobility took centre stage at URBIS 2025 Smart Cities Meetup, held from 10–12 June in Brno, Czechia. Alongside EIT Digital and InnoEnergy, the organisation led high-level discussions on the European innovation ecosystem and evolving mobility legislation.

By sharing insights on emerging urban mobility trends, policy developments and sustainable transport solutions, EIT Urban Mobility highlighted the crucial need for cross-sector collaboration to tackle today’s urban challenges. The conference covered a wide range of topics. These included artificial intelligence in public services and clean, efficient transport — some of the most urgent issues shaping the future of cities.

Brno as a living lab for urban innovation

URBIS is one of the leading events in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to smart city development. It connects public officials, businesses, researchers and civic innovators. This year’s edition welcomed over 5,000 visitors from 500 municipalities. It also featured more than 400 expert speakers, highlighting Brno’s growing importance as a regional innovation hub.

Brno is the second-largest city in Czechia. It leverages a thriving tech ecosystem and proactive municipal government to drive forward-thinking urban solutions. The event organisers, BVV Trade Fairs Brno, further strengthen this commitment through initiatives such as the BVV Living Lab. This long-term project focuses on the dissemination of innovations in a real-world environment. It serves as a dynamic testbed for piloting, refining and scaling up innovative technologies, products, services and urban processes under authentic city conditions.

EIT Urban Mobility leading urban innovation discourse

EIT Urban Mobility actively participated in the conference by co-hosting the EIT Community booth and engaging in discussions on cross-sector collaboration. During the panel titled “The Future of Mobility: Technology, Policy, and Cities,” Traian Urban, Director of Innovation Hub East at EIT Urban Mobility, joined Czech Minister of Transport Martin Kupka. They discussed emerging mobility technologies, the influence of new policies and the essential role cities play in delivering sustainable, user-centred transport solutions.

A key moment at the conference was a panel on synergies between leading smart city events: Tomorrow.Mobility, Smart City Expo World Congress and Nordic Edge Expo. Traian Urban, Director of Innovation Hub East, joined Ugo Valenti of Fira Barcelona and Gunnar Edwin Crawford of Nordic Edge to highlight how these flagship events foster ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing. The discussion also emphasised URBIS’s growing role as a vital regional connector linking global innovation with local and national smart city initiatives.

URBIS is prepared in collaboration with four ministries and ten other governmental institutions, highlighting the strength of multi-level cooperation in driving forward the smart city agenda. The event is further co-organised and hosted by BVV Trade Fairs Brno.