Europe’s mobility and transport sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Digitalisation, electrification, automation and the green transition are reshaping how people and goods move, while European policy increasingly prioritises climate neutrality, competitiveness and societal impact over simple growth. As one of Europe’s 14 key industrial ecosystems, mobility has a critical role to play in achieving sustainable development and the EU’s 2050 climate objectives.

Yet, turning ambition into real-world impact remains a major challenge. Innovation in mobility is advancing rapidly, often driven by industry-led technological solutions. While this speed brings opportunities, it can also lead to fragmentation, unintended side effects, and solutions that struggle to scale or integrate into wider urban and regional systems. At the same time, many mobility actors continue to operate within traditional collaboration models, leaving valuable resources within innovation ecosystems underused.

A persistent gap exists between academia, research and industry. Despite strong research capacity across Europe, educational and research institutions are not always sufficiently embedded in innovation processes or aligned with evolving industry needs. Innovation support organisations, such as science parks, technology centres and innovation hubs, remain underexploited as connectors capable of translating knowledge into market-ready solutions.

This disconnect contributes to uneven innovation performance across Europe. While overall innovation capacity is improving, progress varies significantly between regions and Member States, limiting the collective ability to deliver inclusive, sustainable and smart mobility solutions at scale.

Addressing these challenges requires new forms of collaboration, stronger skills alignment, and ecosystem-based approaches that bring together industry, academia, research and innovation support actors. Only by strengthening these links can Europe fully harness its innovation potential and accelerate the transition towards resilient, climate-neutral mobility systems.