Europe’s transport transition is accelerating, and research shows that the next wave of innovation will depend less on single technologies and more on how digital, sustainable, and social dimensions of mobility come together. A new Joint Research Centre (JRC) report maps 247 EU-funded research and innovation projects in the field of smart mobility, representing more than €1.5 billion in investment under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. The analysis, based on the Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS), offers the most comprehensive overview yet of how the EU is advancing connected, automated, and low-carbon transport.
A multidimensional view of mobility
The report defines smart mobility as a multifaceted concept integrating technology, sustainability, and inclusivity. It is not limited to connected cars or digital traffic management; it spans automation, shared mobility, logistics, urban planning, and new governance models. Smart mobility seeks to make transport cleaner, safer, more efficient, and accessible to all. Artificial intelligence, real-time data, and digital twins are central enablers, but the social dimension (trust, behaviour, and user acceptance) remains decisive.
Eight domains, one connected ecosystem
The 247 projects were grouped into eight thematic areas: cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM); traffic management; advanced electromobility; air mobility; transport and urban planning; efficient and sustainable logistics; enhanced transport safety and security; and new mobility services. The most significant funding shares went to CCAM and sustainable logistics, confirming Europe’s twin focus on digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Highlights from the research front
Automation and connectivity: AI-based perception, simulation, and safety validation tools are maturing rapidly. Large-scale demonstrations tested automated vehicles in 15 European cities. Harmonising testing protocols and public trust are the following challenges.
Traffic management: Predictive analytics and digital twins are enabling real-time, multimodal coordination across road, rail, and air. Projects such as EVEREST and AI-ARC use machine learning for secure, decentralised traffic control.
E-mobility: Work on Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) and smart charging integrates vehicles with the energy system. Initiatives such as FLOW and SCALE explore open architectures and user-centric charging models.
Urban air mobility: Projects test drones and electric air taxis within regulated “U-space” corridors, though regulatory harmonisation and cybersecurity remain critical.
Urban planning and digital twins: New tools combine participatory planning, predictive maintenance, and data-driven impact assessment to help cities evaluate future mobility scenarios.
Sustainable logistics: 5G, IoT, and blockchain enhance freight transparency and automation, from autonomous barges to last-mile drones. Urban pilots focus on zero-emission delivery and shared infrastructure.
Safety and security: AI-driven monitoring and digital twins safeguard critical infrastructure, enhancing situational awareness across road, maritime, and border systems.
New mobility services, including Electric Bus Rapid Transit pilots, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), and Mobility-as-a-Community (MaaC) platforms, integrate shared modes with public transport, utilizing data governance and behavioral insights to inform design.
Efficient and Sustainable Logistics
The EU’s Research and Innovation (R&I) efforts in Efficient and Sustainable Logistics are focused on several interrelated aspects, including advancing digitalisation and automation, enhancing resilience of supply chains and multimodal freight solutions, reducing environmental impact, and addressing urban and last-mile logistics challenges. These efforts aim to create more connected, resilient, and efficient logistics networks that reduce environmental impact while meeting modern mobility demands.
The field of Efficient and Sustainable Logistics focuses on advancing digital connectivity, automation, decarbonisation, multimodal integration, and urban freight solutions. Research projects showcased how technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things, and blockchain can improve supply chain transparency, coordination, and overall efficiency. Autonomous freight transport was tested across road, water, and air, with developments in drone delivery, hyperloop corridors, and automated cargo operations.
Efforts toward decarbonization emphasized the deployment of zero-emission vehicles, the integration of renewable energy, and the use of intelligent energy management systems. Urban logistics pilots explored AI-driven last-mile delivery and shared logistics infrastructure. Across the board, the studies emphasized the importance of policy support in creating harmonized standards, ensuring data interoperability, and developing regulatory frameworks that facilitate the safe and scalable adoption of new logistics models and technologies.
To provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of EU-funded R&I in the area of efficient and sustainable logistics, the researchers reviewed 47 projects into five primary subthemes:
1. Digital Connectivity and Smart Logistics
Projects: 5G-LOGINNOV. DATAPORTS, EPICENTER, INGENIOUS, KEYSTONE, LOGISTICSBRAIN, REMUNET, SETO, TRANSMETRICS, VITAL-5G
2. Automation and Autonomous Freight Transport
Projects: AUTOFLY, AUTOMOTIF, AUTOSUP, FOREMAST, HYPERLOOP FOR SUSTAINABLE FREIGHT TRANSPORT, SEAMLESS, VESSELAI
3. Energy-Efficient and Decarbonised Logistics
Projects: ADMIRAL, BATTEREVERSE, DT4GS, ESCALATE, NEXTETRUCK, REFMAP, SARIL, STORM
4. Integrated and Multimodal Freight Solutions
Projects: AEGIS, CRISTAL, FOR-FREIGHT, IW-NET, MAGPIE, MISSION, MOSES, MULTIRELOAD, PLANET, PLATINA3, PLOTO, SAFARI, TRUST
5. Sustainable Urban Logistics and Last-Mile Innovations
Projects: DECARBOMILE, DISCO, GREEN-LOG, LEAD, SENATOR, ULAADS, UNCHAIN, URBANE, URBANIZED
Cross-cutting implications
The report highlights that policy adaptation is as important as technology. Many projects call for updated EU and national regulations on data governance, cross-border testing, and AI explainability. Smart mobility also has socio-economic consequences: it creates new digital jobs but may disrupt traditional ones, demanding workforce reskilling and inclusive transition strategies. Environmental goals drive nearly all innovation efforts, linking mobility research and innovation directly to the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.
From innovation to deployment
While Europe is at the forefront of mobility research and innovation, challenges persist: fragmented standards, limited data sharing, and slow large-scale deployment. The JRC emphasizes the importance of coordinated investment, public-private partnerships, and regulatory experimentation to bridge the gap between laboratory results and real-world adoption.
Ultimately, smart mobility is not just about technology; it is about how cities, industries, and citizens collaborate to shape a connected, climate-neutral transportation ecosystem.
Source: EU JRC