European Cycling Summit 2018 – Urban Mobility Labs linking Cities

The European Cycling Summit 2018 took place in Salzburg from 24 to 26 September under the motto “Cycling culture moves”. The three-day event focused on cyclists and illuminated the bicycle as a means of transport in all its facets. The European Cycling Summit is intended to provide a new impetus for the establishment of a comprehensive cycling culture in cities and municipalities.

Around 400 guests from 20 countries attended the exciting lectures, keynotes and panel discussions on topics such as cycling culture, health, tourism, urban and transport planning, mobility management, traffic law and many other best practice examples from a wide variety of fields.

For the urban mobility laboratories thinkport VIENNA, aspern.mobil LAB and MobiLab Upper Austria, only one form of travel was possible: by Cargobike!

What do you do if you work on sustainable mobility solutions in urban areas and want to spread the ideas of climate-friendly and innovative mobility? You exemplify them! Even if that means covering more than 372km over mountainous and tedious stages and having to put up with uncomfortable temperatures and weather changes from rain to hail.

Three employees of the Urban Mobility Laboratories (thinkport VIENNA, aspern.mobil LAB and MobiLabOÖ) and two employees of AustriaTech made their way from Vienna to Salzburg on Friday, 21 September on climate-friendly e-bikes (sponsored by Heavy Pedals and E-Mobility Steyr). In addition to personal luggage, the e-bikes were also used to transport the material for the joint exhibition stand of the mobility laboratories. The team covered a total of 372km in four stages and defied any weather from rain to hail. Just in time for the opening of the European Cycling Summit on 24 September at 17:30, the team arrived at Mirabell Castle and was received with appreciative applause.

The initiative of the bmvit “Urban Mobility Laboratories” (UML) supports the creation of new, experimental environments within the framework of the “Mobility of the Future” programme, in which innovative mobility and transport solutions can be researched, tested and implemented by science and companies together with citizens, politicians, the administration and other stakeholders. The resulting structural framework should significantly increase research, technology and innovation (RTI) in terms of efficiency as well as effectiveness (implementation and effectiveness).