Barcelona will be the European capital of urban mobility, with CARNET as a key technological partner
MOBILus has become the new innovation community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a network that positions Barcelona as the European capital of urban mobility. This platform is formed by 48 partners from 15 countries that include cities, companies, universities and research centres. One of the partners is CARNET, which has played a vital role in bringing onboard its founding partners Barcelona City Council, the UPC and SEAT, as well as the rest of its local partners. In the words of Monika Bachofner, the Operations Director at EIT Urban Mobility: “CARNET has acted as the base of a triangle of knowledge in which the UPC/CIT UPC and SEAT act as a local knowledge community, with Barcelona City Council as part of the hub based on open innovation”.
With this designation, MOBILus, which in January 2019 has been renamed EIT Urban Mobility and whose headquarters will be set up in Ca l’Alier, in the district of Sant Martí in Barcelona, joins Europe’s largest innovation network as the eighth KIC community. These communities are dynamic and creative entities that take advantage of innovation and the European entrepreneurial spirit in order to find solutions to the challenges of society in areas with a high innovation potential, in this case, urban mobility.
Mobility for habitable urban spaces
With more than 70% of the European population living in urban areas, where approximately 85% of EU GDP is generated, it is necessary to invest in modern and sustainable shared transport systems. In this sense, the EIT Urban Mobility will contribute to guaranteeing a more ecological, inclusive, safe and intelligent urban mobility system, with the aim of strengthening European competitiveness, improving access to mobility and increasing the attractiveness of cities.
Under the slogan ‘Mobility for habitable urban spaces’, the work of the consortium focuses on moving people, connecting communities, supporting the business fabric and reimagining public spaces. There are five strategic objectives to achieve: to become the engine of Europe for knowledge and innovation in mobility, to train the next generation of urban mobility professionals, to take advantage of and update ideas for implementation, to accelerate future mobility services and solutions, and to replicate and apply new solutions in Europe and around the world.
The new KIC will be managed by Barcelona and the five innovation centres in Copenhagen (Denmark), Prague (Czech Republic), Munich (Germany), Barcelona and Helmond (Netherlands). For the development of the operation, which will last seven years, the network will receive 1,600 million euros in funding, a quarter of which will come from the EIT and the rest from private and public investments. The first results are forecast for the year 2020.
Thirteen participating cities
The new EIT KIC in sustainable mobility comprises 13 cities: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Helmond, Helsinki, Istanbul, Milan, Munich, Prague, Stockholm and Tel Aviv. Universities and research centres also take part, including the UPC and the technological hub CARNET (promoted by the UPC, SEAT and Volkswagen Group Research).
