Shaping the Future of Urban Mobility: Insights from Transport Innovation Forum 2024

In October 2024, the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, became a focal point for the future of urban transportation as experts, policymakers, and innovators gathered for the Transport Innovation Forum. Over the course of two days, on October 9th and 10th, the forum explored the challenges and opportunities of transforming urban mobility through cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions. Discussions ranged from the urgent need for sustainable transport systems to the potential of data-driven decision-making and the importance of collaborative efforts between cities, governments, and private sector players.

One of the most pressing themes that emerged from the forum was the role of innovation in reshaping the way people move within cities. As urbanization accelerates and environmental concerns mount, cities must find new ways to address mobility challenges. From shared mobility and public transportation to urban logistics and last-mile solutions, the forum highlighted how technology, policies, and citizen engagement can work together to create a more sustainable, efficient, and accessible future of mobility.

Changing Human Behavior Through Innovation

Maria Tsavachidis, CEO of EIT Urban Mobility, kicked off the forum with a thought-provoking keynote on the role of innovation in addressing the challenges of urban mobility. In her speech, Tsavachidis emphasized the importance of changing human behavior when it comes to mobility choices. She pointed out a fundamental challenge: “Unfortunately, human nature doesn’t respond well to long-term threats, so we have to find other ways to change human behavior.”

The focus of her message was clear: shifting human habits—particularly those related to transportation—is one of the key obstacles to sustainable mobility. While technological innovation is undeniably important, Tsavachidis warned that it is not a panacea. For example, electric vehicles (EVs) are crucial for decarbonizing urban transport, but they alone are not enough. “Every internal combustion engine car purchased today will still be on the road 10 to 15 years from now,” she said. To drive meaningful change, cities need to embrace a holistic approach that combines innovation, policy, and community engagement.

Innovating Public Transport and Shared Mobility

One of the core themes of the forum was the future of public transport and shared mobility. These systems, which form the backbone of urban transportation in most cities, are ripe for innovation. In one of the panel discussions, experts from across Europe discussed how cities can harness data and technology to improve public transit systems and make them more adaptable to the needs of residents.

Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė, the Vice-Minister for Transport and Communications of Lithuania, spoke about the untapped potential of data in revolutionizing urban mobility. According to Vaiciukevičiūtė, understanding what data is needed and how to collect it is a major challenge. She pointed to the telecommunications sector, which, she argued, holds valuable data that could enhance public transportation. However, she stressed that this data must be high-quality and interoperable to be truly effective. For example, data sharing between countries in the European Union could help create solutions for things like cross-border ticketing and seamless travel across borders.

Mikael Nyberg, Director-General at the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, echoed Vaiciukevičiūtė’s point, stressing that data must be usable on a broader scale. “We need data that can be connected across borders and cities to facilitate smoother journeys for passengers,” he said.

However, the forum made it clear that technological solutions alone are not enough to overhaul public transport. Liisa Andersson, Project Manager at Ruter, the public transport authority of Oslo, highlighted the importance of long-term planning. “We often end up doing pilots, and nothing else,” Andersson said, pointing to the common pitfall of testing innovations without following through with their full implementation. Ruter’s experience with the Fremmot project, a long-term initiative to introduce autonomous vehicles in Oslo, was an example of a commitment to long-term change. “If we invest in something, we need a plan to actually implement it afterward,” Andersson emphasized.

The Fremmot project exemplifies the kind of collaboration necessary for large-scale mobility innovation. Oslo is working with other cities and public authorities to share knowledge and resources to ensure the success of the initiative. Andersson concluded, “We’re learning to collaborate, also nationally, and this will enable us to scale these new solutions.”

The Role of Citizen Engagement

Another key takeaway from the forum was the need for citizen engagement in the process of mobility innovation. Understanding the needs, preferences, and behaviors of urban commuters is essential for creating effective, user-friendly systems. Jonas Damidavičius, Head of Mobility Transformations at JUDU, the public transport authority of Vilnius, shared how his team used citizen feedback to design better mobility solutions. “We asked people: What are your expectations? What do you need to travel in the city? And then we put everything in one catalogue,” Damidavičius explained.

The data gathered through these conversations helps Vilnius better align its public transport offerings with the actual needs of its residents, ensuring that the city’s transport system is both effective and responsive. As cities around the world look to improve mobility, the importance of engaging with citizens cannot be overstated. If cities can better understand what commuters want, they will be in a stronger position to offer solutions that meet demand and drive positive change.

Greening the Last Mile: Innovations in Urban Logistics

As the forum shifted focus to urban logistics and last-mile deliveries, the conversation turned toward how innovation can make the movement of goods more sustainable. Last-mile logistics is often one of the most challenging and inefficient aspects of urban transport. The rise of e-commerce and on-demand delivery services has exacerbated traffic congestion and pollution, creating a pressing need for sustainable solutions.

During a panel discussion moderated by Wiebke Müller of EIT Urban Mobility, representatives from Latvia Post and Lithuanian Post shared insights into how their organizations are working together to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Dovilė Koncienė, Strategic Coordination and Data Analytics Group Manager at Lithuanian Post, explained how the two companies are sharing parcel lockers to reduce the number of empty storage spaces and use existing resources more effectively.

The collaboration between logistics operators and city administrations is also critical to improving urban deliveries. Raitis Stūrmanis, Project Manager at Latvia Post, explained that their team is working with Riga’s city administration to identify available data and create a system to share it fairly among all delivery partners. This kind of collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial for creating efficient, sustainable logistics systems in cities.

In Vilnius, Anton Nikitin, the Chief Sustainability Officer at the Vilnius municipality, spoke about the city’s efforts to act as a mediator between different stakeholders. “The city has to be the whip,” Nikitin said, explaining that it is the city’s role to incentivize and guide businesses to embrace greener solutions. In his view, cities must not only push for environmental zones but also create policies that encourage businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

Policy and Collaboration: Building the Future of Urban Mobility

One key message that emerged from the forum was the importance of policy frameworks that encourage collaboration and innovation. Cities are often the catalysts for large-scale mobility transformations, but they need the support and engagement of both the private sector and the broader community to be successful. Policy should be designed not only to regulate but also to incentivize the transition to sustainable mobility.

In Stockholm, the introduction of Europe’s first no-emission zone on January 1, 2025 will require delivery companies like Wolt to adapt their operations. Richard Lindeen, Head of Strategy & Innovation for Region North at Wolt, highlighted the importance of a dialogue between cities and logistics providers. He said, “There needs to be a dialogue between the city and the different stakeholders—not only to push, but also to incentivize.”

This kind of cooperation is essential for building sustainable urban mobility systems. The forum illustrated how policies, data, and collaboration can help cities achieve their mobility goals, reduce congestion, and contribute to global sustainability efforts.

Conclusion

The 2024 Transport Innovation Forum in Vilnius highlighted the vital role of innovation in shaping the future of urban mobility. With data, citizen engagement, and collaboration at the heart of the conversation, the forum demonstrated how cities can harness cutting-edge technologies and forward-thinking policies to tackle the mobility challenges of the future. As cities around the world seek to make their transportation systems more sustainable, the lessons learned from Vilnius will play an essential role in shaping the future of urban mobility—one that is efficient, eco-friendly, and inclusive.