Accelerating European Urban Mobility Collaboration at Mobilities for EU General Assembly
21 May | Dresden, Germany - The International Road Federation (IRF) reinforced its commitment to advancing sustainable and connected urban transport solutions through its active participation in the Mobilities for EU General Assembly represented by IRF Project Managers Ilona Cieslik and Iona Kirkpatrick.
Bringing together project partners to exchange progress and showcase emerging innovations, the General Assembly provided an important platform for collaboration toward climate-neutral urban mobility systems across Europe.
Representing the IRF on site, Ilona Cieslik joined partners for a visit to the impressive Gläserne Manufaktur of Volkswagen Group, where participants explored technologies helping shape the future of sustainable transport. Following a welcome address by the Mayor of Dresden, attendees learned more about Volkswagen’s innovative charging robot, highlighting how automation and electrification are transforming urban mobility systems and supporting smarter transport operations.
The programme continued at Ostragehege, where Dresden, one of the project’s Lead Cities, showcased a series of pilot projects and live demonstrations designed to accelerate the transition to more connected and sustainable transport ecosystems. Demonstrations included bidirectional charging solutions, operating service robots and Dresden’s advanced 5G infrastructure, all illustrating how emerging technologies are being integrated into real-world mobility systems.
As part of IRF’s contribution to the General Assembly, Project Manager Iona Kirkpatrick delivered a presentation on project updates related to Mobilities for EU, with a particular focus on achievements under the project’s clustering activities between 2024 and mid-2026.
The presentation highlighted the creation of a continuously updated database of clustering project profiles and strengthening coordination through shared contacts and project information. Significant progress has also been made in fostering collaboration with CIVITAS New Mobility Services projects, including metaCCAZE, SUM, and GEMINI.
Iona also shared updates on future collaboration pathways, including advancing agreements with CIVITAS and NetZeroCities through CARTIF, while maintaining continuous engagement with key European mobility stakeholders through events, publications and knowledge exchange activities.
The Mobilities for EU project has maintained strong visibility across major international platforms, including the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), CIVITAS Forum, ITS European Congress, EUCAD Symposium and the IRF 2026 Annual Conference, strengthening opportunities for replication and cross-sector collaboration.
As a key project partner, IRF continues to support the broader objectives of MOBILITIES FOR EU, which aims to demonstrate that innovative passenger mobility and freight transport concepts, which designed through participative and user-centred principles, can offer cost-effective and feasible pathways toward climate neutrality.
Through electrification, automation, and connectivity, the project seeks to help cities accelerate emissions reductions and advance sustainable urban transport systems by 2030.
