The winners, who must be between the ages of 18 and 35, include students and workers from start-ups and SMEs from Sweden, Romania, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and the UK. Their solutions range from futuristic systems for moving people and freight in cities to an e-parking platform, emergency vehicle communication systems, a chatbot, services for people with reduced mobility, and technologies to improve the cycling experience. 

“For us to win the European Transport Innovation Challenge is a huge recognition of our visions and goals,” Christoffer Hamin from Digital reliable railway, one of the winners, is quoted in Cities Today. “The recognition at the top level of political influence shows that there is a need for disruptive change for a better and a safer railway.”

The winners were selected by a professional jury and received a free trip to Strasbourg to follow the European ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) Congress at the end of June. They were also able to participate in a dedicated mentoring workshop to meet investors and EU policy makers and receive personal coaching. 

The 12 winning projects of the European Transport Innovation Challenge 2017 are: