SUM project launches a series of Expert Sessions on new shared mobility
SUM has launched a series of “Expert Sessions”, in the form of a online webinar series, that has been put together by its strong Consortium of companies, academic institutions, and cities. Closely linked to the project’s focus on “replicability”, these sessions serve as a valuable resource for other cities and stakeholders who are seeking inspiration and guidance for their own new shared mobility initiatives.
The overall objective of the SUM project is to facilitate the transformation of mobility in 15 European cities by 2026 and in 30 European cities by 2030. This transformation involves the integration of new shared mobility (NSM) modes with public transport, focusing on innovation, interconnectivity, environmental sustainability, safety, resilience, and replicability. The aim is to ensure the affordability and reliability of these modes for end users while maintaining financial sustainability that strengthens the competitiveness of European businesses.
The project has initiated the expert session series to spotlight the work being carried out in the first nine lead and follower European cities that comprise the project’s Living Labs.
These educational sessions offer a platform for sharing insights on NSM solutions, focusing on innovation, practical challenges, and strategic planning across various cities. By integrating perspectives from businesses, researchers, and city representatives, they comprehensively address mobility challenges and develop practical and forward-thinking solutions. Expert sessions on the Munich, Fredrikstad, and Rotterdam Living Labs have already taken place.
The city of Munich presented their strategy for building 200 mobility hubs within the city. Participants received insights into Munich's NSM strategy, location planning, and other fields of action in the city, such as the integration of digital mobility platforms, citizen participation activities, and database monitoring and evaluation.
In the expert session that focussed on Fredrikstad, the aims of the Fredrikstad Living Lab to integrate NSM and multimodal travel with city ferries, build mobility hub infrastructure, and share knowledge on how to shift car traffic to waterways was presented. A very interesting initiative that is being applied in this Living Lab is the development of a local workshop series, as part of which citizens, city representatives, and the local ferry operators discuss current commuting patterns.
The Rotterdam Living Lab Expert Session focused on real-time demand forecasting for new and shared mobility, and was presented by the Technical University Delft. Rotterdam’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) focuses on improving cycling and public transport infrastructure, connecting first and last-mile trips to public transport, and supporting the shift towards micro-mobility.
The intention behind disseminating the developments, research results, tools, and methods used at this stage of the project is to foster similarities with other initiatives or use cases in Europe and beyond, serving as a knowledge-sharing portal and as an example for the new and shared mobility services. The Expert Sessions are crucial to the project’s success. The sessions leverage the collective expertise of stakeholders, ensuring that the project’s outcomes have a lasting and positive impact on urban mobility.
The webinar series will continue until March 2026, with a total of 14 sessions planned.
For more information about the webinar series and to access the expert sessions that have already taken place, check out the event page.
Author: Ainhoa Arrieta
