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EU transport research consortium aims to improve use of urban space

Now that KTH has been selected to be part of MOBiLus, which focuses on urban space and transport, the university is a partner in five of the eight EIT consortia.
Published Dec 27, 2018

The EU's major technology and innovation initiative, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), has just closed two new calls. KTH has won the competition to be part of one of them, namely EIT Urban Mobility. In addition to KTH, participants in the consortium, titled MOBilLus, include the city of Stockholm, the city of Barcelona, Scania, BMW, TU Delft and TU Munchen.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology, at KTH

KTH now forms a part of five consortia of the prestigious EU collaboration, European institute of Innovation and Technology that will make Europe a global leader for innovation.Partners in the consortia are leading technical universities in Europe, research institutes, large corporations, SMEs and scaleups. Learn more about EIT at KTH

EIT is expanding with a focus on Urban Mobility for a number of reasons. Accelerated urbanization requires new solutions for all types of transport. There is also the ever-increasing need for more university-educated people as well as the ability to compete with the U.S. and Asia.

The focus is on tomorrow’s transportation systems, regardless if it is about self-driving cars, transport in general, city planning or IT.

To complete the task, EIT Urban Mobility  has five overall strategic goals. The most central is about creating livable urban environments and improving the use of shared spaces. Other important goals are to ensure that lifelong learning actually takes place, but also that good research results are taken care of by the industry and realized with cities and citizens as integrated partners.

Gunnar Landgren, is one of the professors who has worked the most toward KTH’s increased participation in EIT Urban Mobility.

“As a result of Urban Mobility, KTH is now in five of eight consortia within the EIT.  In addition to funding, the initiative encourages KTH's capabilities to innovate. That makes the university more attractive to international talent, and it means working even closer with companies and societies,” Landgren says.

He also explains that there is many advantages with being in EIT Urban Mobility. One of them is the increased student exchange system that helps the knowledge to spread.

These masters programs  attract international students. With more international students, KTH can have a broader range in the programs. It pushes our progression, internationalization and abilities to be innovative,” Landgren says.

Within EIT Urban Mobility,  48 partners are involved from 15 countries, including municipalities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Stockholm and Milan. Among the business involved in Urban Mobility are Skoda, E-on, Altran, Oracle, Seat, Siemens and Scania (via its mother company, Volkswagen). Other universities and institutions include Aalto, Eindhoven University of Technology, UPC and University College London.

KTH already receives consortia financing from EIT and is a part of EIT Digital , KIC InnoEnergy , EIT Health  and EIT Raw Materials.

More information about EIT Urban Mobility, for example which partners are involved can be found here.

Peter Ardell/Mats Paulsen