MODALSHIFT at the CIVITAS Forum 2026 in Thessaloniki 

Three days at the CIVITAS Forum summary

From 15 to 17 September 2026, MODALSHIFT took part in the CIVITAS Forum 2026 in Thessaloniki, Greece, represented by Shaghayegh Rahnama from the project coordinator ITA. 

The CIVITAS Forum is the flagship event of the CIVITAS Initiative. It brings together city representatives, policymakers, practitioners, planners, researchers and mobility experts from across Europe. The 2026 edition focused on “Roots & Routes: Moving Forward to Competitive, Connected and Resilient Urban Mobility!” 

During the first day, Shaghayegh participated in a coordination meeting bringing together several European projects working on urban mobility. For MODALSHIFT, which recently entered its second year, the meeting provided a valuable opportunity to learn from more advanced projects, exchange experiences, and build connections for future collaboration.

During day 2 and again on day 3, dedicated slots enabled ITA to present MODALSHIFT and introduce the project’s innovations and the progress achieved during its first year. These sessions introduced participants to its main objectives and activities to improve multimodal transport through better data sharing, modelling, optimisation, and collaboration between mobility stakeholders.

The Forum provided valuable opportunities to exchange with the European urban mobility community and explore potential synergies with other initiatives. MODALSHIFT’s participation also helped increase the project’s visibility and connect its developments with wider European discussions on competitive, connected, and resilient urban mobility. 

If one thing is to be remembered, it is that AI, digital twins, and data spaces stand out as the main solutions for optimising urban mobility, which is also giving researchers a clearer view of where research is headed.