NEWS - 2025/07/21

Driving Sustainable Mobility in Rural Areas

The MultiMO project, “Multi-Sectoral Data for Obligatory Mobility,” has officially commenced, led by UPC and funded by the Ministry for the Digital Transformation and of the Civil Service. This initiative, set to run for 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026, aims to revolutionize mobility planning in rural areas of Spain through a collaborative data space focused on “obligatory mobility”, which includes daily repetitive journeys for work, study, or supplies.

Addressing Key Rural Challenges

Rural environments in Spain are grappling with significant issues, including depopulation and unequal access to basic services, largely exacerbated by inadequate mobility solutions. Currently, 84% of the Spanish population resides in urban areas, leaving only 16% in rural zones, a trend that has steadily increased since 1900. MultiMO steps in to address this by creating a secure, collaborative data space that integrates information from public and private entities. This unified view will enable smarter planning of services and resources, ultimately improving the quality of life in rural areas.

Goals and Project Focus

The primary objective of MultiMO is to create a collaborative data space on obligatory mobility in rural areas to enhance service planning. This digital ecosystem will facilitate data exchange between public and private actors, offering a secure environment for integrating and exchanging data with socio-economic, geographic, and demographic context (including gender and age range). The project aims to provide a powerful tool for administrations and businesses to improve accessibility and services, fostering new businesses and transport solutions in these underserved regions.

The project is centred on two key use cases:

        1. Multi-ACTIVA: Directed at public administrations (municipalities, public entities, institutions, associations). By accessing the data space, these entities can make better decisions for planning services and resources, such as public transport, thereby improving the quality of life in rural zones.
        2. Multi-INNOVA: Aimed at companies offering services in rural areas. Access to the data space will allow these businesses to identify needs and offer innovative services, such as on-demand transport or shared mobility, contributing to a more efficient, balanced, and sustainable rural environment.

Pilot phases for the project will be conducted in Lleida, Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia, and Valladolid.

Harnessing the Power of Technology

MultiMO’s technological foundation is the UPCxels platform, a multisectoral infrastructure featuring advanced governance and AI services. This platform will serve as the backbone for the data space, enabling the integration and exchange of crucial information.

The data governance model is based on European standards like Gaia-X and IDSA (International Data Spaces Association), ensuring privacy, interoperability, and data sovereignty. This approach allows organizations to create secure data spaces, maintaining full control over their data even when shared, and promoting independence from large external technology platforms.

Relevant data types that will be included in the data space can be:

        • Origin-Destination matrices, disaggregated by gender, age range, travel purpose, transport mode, and schedule.
        • Demographic data (population density, growth trends).
        • Economic data (unemployment rate, average income).
        • Environmental data (transport impact, CO2​ emissions).
        • Accessibility data for people with disabilities (physical or digital barriers).

Broad and Lasting Impact

MultiMO is poised to deliver significant impacts across multiple dimensions. Environmentally, the project supports the reduction of emissions by optimizing public transport and decreasing private vehicle use. Socially, it will enhance territorial equity, accessibility, and service planning in rural areas, thereby improving the quality of life for residents. Economically, MultiMO will boost the competitiveness of rural areas by fostering new services and business opportunities. As MultiMO progresses, it promises to integrate expertise, technology, and collaboration to reshape the future of mobility in rural Spain, paving the way for more sustainable, efficient, and equitable development.

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