CARNET’s X Symposium on Urban Mobility Challenges Explores Innovation in Mobility
The 10th edition of CARNET’s Symposium on Urban Mobility Challenges invited global experts, industry leaders, and academics to address the future of sustainable urban mobility and the implementation of innovation within the sector. Hosted by CARNET, a research center founded by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), SEAT S.A., and Volkswagen Group Innovation, the event highlighted the latest advancements in mobility, with an emphasis on autonomous vehicles, data-driven public transportation, and environmentally-friendly transit solutions, especially how those are first sparked and how new technologies evolve until their real-world implementation.
The symposium opened with welcome remarks from Prof. Dr. Lluís Jofre Roca, CARNET’s Academic Director from UPC, who was joined by Javier Gomez Monterde, representing SEAT’s R&D partnerships, and Alexander Siebeneich, Industrial Director at CARNET. Together, they emphasized the importance of collaboration in creating innovative, sustainable, and accessible urban transport solutions. The event’s keynote was delivered by Dr. Mónica Menéndez, Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU Abu Dhabi, who shared insights into modular bus systems designed to increase efficiency, reduce wait times, and improve passenger experience through dynamic “splitting” modules.
Focus on Early Innovation
Afterwards, three panels followed, beginning with a session on Early Innovation. Albert Baldó, Senior Project Manager at CARNET, moderated a discussion featuring Aleksandar Jevtić from FICOSA, Adrià Ferrer from Applus IDIADA, and Dr. Monika Bachofner from Volkswagen Group Innovation. Jevtić outlined FICOSA’s advancements in automotive camera systems, a core technology supporting autonomous vehicle navigation, while Ferrer presented Applus IDIADA’s achievements in battery safety through their new safety lab, for performance testing and digital solutions for vehicles. One highlight of his presentation was to “start early to be on time”, highlighting the relevance of early innovation within the sector of mobility. Bachofner expanded on Volkswagen’s global network of innovation centres, which focus on sustainable practices and digitalization, further reinforcing Volkswagen’s commitment to building a greener future.
Promoting Technological Adoption
The second session, moderated by Nadine Pieper from NFF, digged into the adoption of new technologies. Dr. Margarita Martínez Díaz, from UPC, discussed the Cultural Road project, an initiative designed to address the adoption of connected and automated mobility through community engagement, incorporating the user-centric design into the process of service development. Vicenç Rius, from Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) highlighted TMB’s smart metro initiatives, incorporating the use of automation to enhance safety, efficiency, and passenger experience. Lastly, Dr. Riender Happee of TU Delft discussed the design and benefits of fully autonomous vehicles, which aim to reduce traffic accidents, cut fuel consumption, and offer drivers more productive time. Ultimately, time currently lost in traffic will be fred up, increasing satisfaction.
Assessing the Impact of Innovation
The symposium’s final session examined the measurable impacts of technological innovations. Michele Simoni from KTH moderated a panel with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Vietor, from TU Braunschweig, Stefano Borgato from Civitas, and Daniel Serra from EIT Urban Mobility. Vietor discussed how the transition from combustion to electric cars is making the industry shift from mechanical systems to software systems, and despite the rise in numbers, in some countries their adoption is still slower than expected. From his side, Borgato presented Civitas’ evaluation framework, which uses key performance indicators to assess the societal, environmental, and economic impacts of urban mobility projects. Serra then outlined the EU’s 2050 climate-neutral vision, emphasizing that achieving this goal requires major investments in electric vehicles, autonomous transit, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Climent Molins Borrell, UPC’s Vice Chancellor of Transfer, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, reaffirmed the need for strong partnerships between industry, academia, and public sectors to advance sustainable urban mobility.
The 10th edition of CARNET’s Symposium on Urban Mobility Challenges showcased the community efforts to shape the future of transportation, marking a significant step forward in the search for sustainable, efficient, and accessible urban mobility solutions. As CARNET continues to boost innovation and collaboration in the ecosystem, the event remains a key occasion for stakeholders committed to reimagining urban transport for future generations.
