Launch of EIT Urban Mobility in Barcelona to Transform Europe's Cities Into Liveable Spaces

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The European initiative EIT Urban Mobility was launched today at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. The event represented the official start of this EIT Innovation Community, which aims to facilitate and fund the collaboration of cities, companies, knowledge and research institutes to create mobility solutions that will accelerate the transition towards more liveable urban spaces.

In December 2018, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) designated the consortium called 'MOBiLus' as the winning team to set up the innovation community EIT Urban Mobility. The partnership consists of 48 partners from 15 countries, including cities such as Amsterdam, Munich and Milan, universities such as Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Technion and Aalto University,  research centres like Fraunhofer, AMS and CTAG, and industry such as BMW, SEAT, TomTom and Siemens.

By 2026, EIT Urban Mobility aims to create 180 start-ups, free up road space and increase shared mobility in all partner cities, launch 125 new products and attract EUR 38 million investment. After the launch of the first Call for Proposals in April this year, 60 projects were selected, which will be implemented during the following two years involving partners from all over Europe.

EIT Urban Mobility, with its headquarters in Barcelona, will have a duration of 7 to 15 years, with up to € 400 million co-funding by the EIT.  

Maria Tsavachidis, CEO of EIT Urban Mobility, said: "EIT Urban Mobility will improve the quality of life in cities, and have a positive impact on climate and economies. After a year of setting up our operations,  we are now ready to kick off and turn plans into reality. We are ready to make a difference and to work towards making our cities more liveable for all citizens".

Alice Fišer, EIT Head of Communications and Stakeholder Relations added that "the EIT delivers innovative solutions to global challenges facing our societies. By creating new opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs and students across Europe, EIT Urban Mobility will make innovation happen. As part of Europe's largest innovation network, EIT Urban Mobility will work with us to deliver a greener, healthier and more sustainable Europe for its citizens.'