The past two days felt like a fast-forward journey through almost three years of intensive research within the European research project CITWIN. What began with a kick-off meeting in Liège and continued through project meetings in Stockholm and Aarhus has now reached its successful conclusion at the University of Salzburg. It was a great pleasure to welcome our international project partners to Salzburg, reflect together on the project’s achievements, and enjoy the unique atmosphere of our city.
Three Years of Research on Digital Twins for the Mobility Transition
The main objective of CITWIN was to investigate the potential of a generic framework for Digital Twins that can be used to model and simulate the impacts of measures aimed at transforming urban mobility systems. The focus was on exploring how cities can be designed according to the principles of the 15-minute city, enabling residents to access essential daily services efficiently, sustainably, and without the need for long journeys.
The first day of the final meeting was dedicated entirely to project outcomes. The presentations and discussions provided an impressive overview of the methods, models, and applications developed throughout the project. We were particularly pleased to see the international dissemination and uptake of our Open Source software NetAScore, which gained additional visibility and reach through CITWIN. This development strongly encourages us to continue embracing the principles of Open Science in our future work.
Exchange with Austria’s Pioneer Cities
The second day began with an engaging dialogue with representatives of Austria’s Pioneer Cities Mission. The European Commission’s initiatives for climate-neutral cities are reflected in Austria through the Pioneer Cities programme. The City of Salzburg is playing a leading role, implementing a range of measures in the fields of circular economy, buildings, and mobility.
There was considerable interest among experts from public administration and practice in the results generated by CITWIN. At the same time, it became clear that several challenges still need to be tackled before data-driven solutions can be implemented on a broader scale. These include:
- raising awareness of the strategic value of data,
- strengthening collaboration across administrative and organisational boundaries,
- improving the availability and effective use of data resources,
- expanding skills and expertise in data science, and
- developing modern and effective approaches to data governance.
The discussion highlighted the importance of linking scientific research with practical implementation in order to successfully achieve the mobility and climate objectives of European cities.
What’s coming next?
Although the project has now officially concluded, its results will continue to be refined and disseminated over the coming months. Several scientific publications are currently in preparation, alongside a policy briefing for decision-makers and a short video presenting the project’s key findings.
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