Mobility & Transport Cluster: IURC Communities of Practice Kick Off to Strengthen Global Cooperation on Innovative Urban Mobility

The IURC programme’s Mobility & Transport Cluster has officially launched two Communities of Practice (CoPs), marking an important milestone in strengthening international cooperation on sustainable, innovative, and technology-driven urban mobility solutions.

During kick-off meetings held in January and February 2026, participating cities from Europe and the Asia & Australasia region came together to establish shared priorities, align work plans, and initiate structured knowledge exchange that will continue throughout the 2025–2027 programme cycle.

CoP 1 Kick-off: Densification of the City through Innovation in Mobility (29 January 2026)

The first kick-off meeting was held on 29 January 2026, officially launching CoP 1: “Densification of the City through Innovation in Mobility”, coordinated by Rotterdam.

The session introduced the overall IURC roadmap and the process for developing the Regional/Urban Cooperation Action Plan (RCAP/UCAP), which is required to enable the implementation of activities such as thematic exchanges and study visits. Participants also discussed the importance of aligning CoP activities with existing city projects, policies, and innovation programmes in order to maximise long-term impact.

Key focus areas highlighted for CoP 1 included:

• Smart mobility driven by advanced technologies (AI, drones, automation, traffic management systems)
• Coupling of traffic models and digital twins
• Autonomous public transport and shared mobility solutions
• Innovation ecosystems and cross-sector collaboration with universities and businesses

The kick-off also confirmed that CoP members will explore opportunities to develop a future Horizon Europe project consortium, aiming to strengthen global cooperation between cities, research institutions, and the private sector.

This meeting was participated by several ambitious cities including Rotterdam (Netherlands), Torino (Italy), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Christchurch (New Zealand) and Coimbra (Portugal).

CoP 2 Kick-off: Future Modalities (05 February 2026)

On 5 February, a kick-off meeting for CoP 2: “Future Modalities” brought together cities for discussions centred on Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) cooperation, coordinated by Torino.

The meeting highlighted shared challenges across cities, including governance models for emerging mobility technologies, integration of data systems, and the need to ensure mobility transformation supports broader climate neutrality goals. Participants exchanged initial inputs on their local priorities, setting the foundation for future cooperation.

Key topics raised included:

• Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM)
• Electric vehicles and robotic mobility solutions
• Self-driving buses and automated transport services
• Non-motorised transport (NMT) and user behavioural change
• Public transport modernisation and smart mobility systems

The meeting also explored opportunities for collaboration across CoPs, particularly where themes such as automation and AI overlap.

Cities from Torino, Rotterdam, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Jeju participated in the meeting and shared their common challenges and practices in future modalities.

What’s Coming Next?

CoP 1 (Densification of the City through Innovation in Mobility) cities will commence their first thematic webinar series focusing on Smart Mobility & Advanced Tehcnology on 10 February. First webinar session will be featured by Seoul Metropolitan Government presenting Seoul Climate Card and Rotterdam City presenting Zero Emission Zone City Logistics.

The CoPs will also explore opportunities to strengthen partnerships between European and non-European stakeholders, including universities, SMEs, start-ups and innovation hubs, reinforcing the IURC programme’s commitment to practical cooperation and long-term international exchange.

Through these Communities of Practice, IURC continues to support cities worldwide in developing more sustainable, inclusive and future-ready mobility systems — powered by innovation, collaboration and shared learning.

Written by Yookyung Oh, Country Coordinator of Republic of Korea, IURC Programme (yoh@iurc.eu)