Mobility for a Smart Future
An article by Giulio Salvadori, Politecnico di Milano, published in the white paper “The Mobility Revolution”.
Connected Vehicle & Mobility Observatory
The Digital Innovation Observatories of the School of Management at the Politecnico di Milano represent a unique source of information, data, and knowledge on key topics related to Digital Innovation enabled by new technologies. The Connected Vehicle & Mobility Observatory was established in 2019 to address the growing interest of public and private companies in the potential offered by new technologies applied to the automotive and mobility sectors. The Observatory aims to generate and share knowledge on the evolution of vehicles towards smart solutions and, more broadly, on the role of digital technologies in supporting mobility. Its goal is to contribute to the development of the market in a context characterized by limited clarity regarding the current state of applications, the enabled benefits, and the expected evolution of enabling technologies. Smart Cities and Sustainable Mobility: a European and Global Commitment.
In a global context marked by climate change, energy crises, and geopolitical tensions, cities must take the lead in protecting their citizens and territories by becoming laboratories of transformation—places where technology and governance intertwine to improve quality of life and reduce environmental impact. The importance of cities for a sustainable future is clearly stated in the UN’s 11th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and in the objectives of the European Green Deal. In this regard, smart cities are emerging as one of the most effective responses to contemporary challenges, combining digital innovation with environmental sustainability.
Among the many sectors, smart mobility represents one of the most significant challenges both globally and within the European Union, as countries must rethink their mobility systems in a sustainable and efficient way to tackle pollution and transport congestion. To this end, the Connected Vehicle & Mobility Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano has launched a study to explore the current strategies adopted by the 27 EU member states on these topics1. As of the end of 2024, 21 countries (78%) have developed Smart Mobility strategies and published national documents dedicated to the issue. The remaining six countries address the topic through broader initiatives, often tied to the EU’s sustainability goals.
The main areas of application targeted by European national strategies include electric mobility (70%) and traffic management (52%), followed by centralized data platforms (37%), development of new infrastructure (33%), and charging stations (30%). This ranking highlights a clear priority on sustainability and efficiency goals, pursued through collaboration with public bodies and private companies—both involved in national strategies in around 4 out of 5 cases (85% public bodies, 78% private companies)—as well as with research institutions (30%) and innovative startups (22%). The importance of public-private cooperation is also reflected in funding sources, which primarily come from national public funds (78%), EU funds (60%), and to a significant extent, Private investment (55%).
Italy and the Growing Role of Municipalities in Smart Mobility
So how does Italy fit into this picture? In Italy, Smart Mobility is included in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development and in the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Mobility (PSNMS), and it is featured in several Missions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The topic remains central for Italian municipalities: over 4 out of 5 (78%) with populations over 15,000 consider it very relevant or fundamental.
At the same time, Smart Mobility initiatives are becoming more widespread: by 2024, 36% of municipalities have launched projects (+4% vs 2023, +18% vs 2022). Overall, just over 3 out of 5 municipalities (65%) have launched at least one project between 2022 and 2024. Leading areas—by maturity— include electric mobility (70%), shared mobility (57%), and traffic management (49%), with initiatives either being adopted by cities or already fully integrated into overall Mobility Strategies.
A central issue in Smart Mobility projects is the ability to leverage collected data. The survey reveals a mixed picture: 29% of Italian municipalities do not use the data generated by their projects, although 25% (+9% vs 2023) state they intend to do so in the future, acknowledging its strategic importance. Among those already using data, 33% (-13% vs 2023) use it internally, while citizen-oriented and data-sharing uses are on the rise (26%, +9%). However, the predominant use remains informative or diagnostic: no municipality is currently using data for predictive purposes via AI algorithms, and nearly 1 in 2 municipalities (48%) have no intention of using AI in the future.
MaaS and Smart Roads for the Future of Mobility
The evolving landscape indicates growing interest in investing in advanced mobility technologies, mainly to enhance safety and environmental sustainability through better data utilization. Some municipalities are already initiating new pilot projects, in addition to more traditional initiatives. The most popular areas for experimentation include Air Mobility and autonomous driving, with more than 9 out of 10 projects still in the exploratory or testing phase (Air Mobility 100%, autonomous driving 97%). Next in line are Mobility as a Service (MaaS, 83%) and Smart Roads (85%), with over 4 out of 5 projects in the pilot stage.
International MaaS projects aim to optimize traffic flows in urban areas. For example, apps that combine public transport, taxis, car and bike sharing into a single platform allow users to plan their trips more efficiently. Furthermore, MaaS Services Offer Personalized Sustainable Mobility Solutions— such as integration with electric vehicles and low-emission route planning— contributing to reduced congestion and pollution in cities.
Globally, MaaS initiatives are growing significantly, with a 256% increase from 2014–2017 to 2018–2021 and a further 43% growth from 2019–2021 to 2022– 024. In Italy, one of the most significant efforts is “MaaS for Italy”, funded by the PNRR and the Complementary Fund for a total of €56.9 million. The goal is to implement integrated mobility projects across six major cities and seven provinces/regions using a multi- territorial approach. After a slow start due to adoption challenges and issues with the national platform’s interoperability and multimodality, the initiative has been regaining momentum. In 2024, the first signs of progress have been recorded. For instance, thanks to MaaS for Italy, the Campania Region and the Municipality of Bari are integrating sustainable transport services—such as public transport and car sharing— with incentives to promote green and intermodal mobility. These positive signs are key to stimulating demand and accelerating the adoption of MaaS systems, contributing to a more sustainable and connected mobility transition. By mid-2025, the awarded cities and territories must submit an evaluation report on their pilot projects, and all experimental activities must conclude by June 30, 2026.
The European strategy to achieve efficiency, safety, and sustainability goals in mobility is also reflected in Smart Road testing, which is gaining increasing importance due to its ability to collect large volumes of data from connected vehicles and smart infrastructure – enabling the provision of numerous innovative services. Indeed, 2024 marks a significant year for these initiatives both nationally and internationally. The Observatory’s census of 166 projects launched worldwide between 2017 and 2024 confirms a steady proliferation of new efforts. Specifically, 46 projects were launched in 2024, up from 44 in 2023 and 28 in 2022.
The main objectives of these initiatives include road safety, enhanced driver comfort, optimized traffic flow, improved infrastructure maintenance, and pollution reduction. In Italy, 21 initiatives were launched between 2022 and 2024 alone, underscoring the country’s commitment and interest in this field. Recent noteworthy examples include:
- The A7 Milan-Serravalle, with a project to transform the entire route into a Smart Road by 2026, aiming to improve safety and traffic management through digital technologies for real-time monitoring, incident detection, and vehicle-infrastructure communication;
- The A32, where in 2024 a 5G-enabled digital corridor was launched near the Frejus tunnel to improve connectivity and mobility safety along the Turin-Lyon axis, in support of connected and autonomous mobility;
- The A2, where the “Green Island” of Montalto Uffugo (CS) was completed in 2024—one of the flagship infrastructures of Anas’s Smart Road program, with a total investment of approximately €1 billion, now in its first experimental phase.
The Italian Citizen: between New Technologies and Old Habits
While innovations are steering mobility toward a sustainable future, Italian citizens remain behind the wheel of their combustion engine cars. According to the Observatory’s survey conducted with BVA Doxa on 1,000 Italian consumers, 87% of respondents report using their combustion- engine car as their primary means of transport. The most frequent use is for commuting (38%), followed by trips in areas poorly served by public transport or sharing Services (37%) – highlighting how a widespread multimodal offer is key to encouraging the transition to alternative mobility, particularly in small and medium-sized urban centers.
The lack of viable alternatives is the main barrier to reducing private car use in cities. In fact, 57% of Italians (+12% vs 2023) would be willing to give up their car if public transport ran more frequently. Other key incentives include free parking at strategic locations (32%), especially in large cities (40%), and free access to public transport and sharing services (27%), particularly among younger people (18–34 years, 33%).
Currently, nearly 1 in 3 citizens (29%) ranks local public transport as their second preferred mobility option. Flexibility (42%) and travel time reliability (38%) are the most relevant factors behind this choice. Young people (18–34 years) are clearly leading the way toward future mobility, with above-average usage of car sharing (8%), shared micromobility (9%), and taxis/NCC services (12%).
Mobility is one of the responses to sustainability goals— but not the only one. How are Italian citizens responding to the European Commission’s 2035 ban on the sale of combustion-engine vehicles? Many consumers remain skeptical: 48% say they will not be influenced by the regulation, intending to use their current vehicle as long as possible or purchase a new combustion car just before the deadline. Only 10% plan to comply with the regulation immediately, while 34% prefer to wait until electric vehicles become more affordable and reliable.
On the other hand, 95% of electric or hybrid vehicle buyers say they are overall satisfied (rating 6–10) with their purchase— though just over 1 in 4 express only partial satisfaction (rating 6–7). While general satisfaction suggests cautious optimism, several barriers must still be addressed to make ownership truly beneficial and constraint-free. Key issues include the high purchase price relative to perceived value (26%), high charging (19%) and maintenance costs (17%), and «range anxiety» (17%), which affects both daily and unplanned travel and still causes concern among drivers.
Looking ahead, 40% of Italian consumers intend to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle in the next three years, but they want purchase incentives or discounts (46%), urban driving perks (44%), and lower charging costs (38%). Meanwhile, 6 out of 10 say they are not interested, citing price (55%), battery range (31%), and charging time (25%) as the main reasons.
