BATS Takes Centre Stage at Key European Mobility Events

Regular attendance at key European conferences allows project partners to continually showcase the project’s approach, findings, takeaways, and progress, while alerting increasing numbers of stakeholders to the importance of year-round active mobility in the Baltic Sea Region and throughout the continent.

Velo-city Conference – Gdansk, Poland

The Velo-city Conference is the European Cyclists’ Fereration’s yearly flagship event, taking place in a different city each year.

During this edition, the BATS project was proudly showcased by partners in a range of engaging ways.

BATS partners representing the project at Velo-city 2025

Aalto University’s Miloš Mladenović delivered a keynote presentation titled “Development of diagnostics‑interventions toolkit for promoting year‑round active mobilities: A Nordic‑Baltic perspective”, exploring diagnostics, interventions, seasonal mobility barriers, and gender‑based cycling trends.

Gdańsk University of Technology’s Jacek Oskarbski led a poster session addressing innovative active travel infrastructure, traffic modelling, gender trends, and integration of blue‑green corridors.

In addition, BATS maintained a continuous presence at the joint exhibition booth alongside the City of Gdańsk, the European Cyclists’ Federation, and Interreg Baltic Sea Region, resulting in countless fascinating exchanges with fellow conference attendees and exhibitors.

Following the event, Heike Bunte from lead partner Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg- Borough of Altona reflected: 

“Following each year’s Velo-city motto, this one stood under the umbrella of “Energising Solidarity” which refers to Poland’s great Solidarność movement, with the keynote speaker Gil Penelosa embedding this theme strongly in his speech. For me, this indicates the value of planning cities for people from ages 8-80, and it is clear that we need to continue the path of transformation. During many sessions and discussions the value of weather conditions and darkness are vital to foster stronger active mobility. Therefore, BATS will need to play a vital role in future Velo-cities”

Miloš Mladenović of Aalto University delivering his keynote speech.

UITP Summit – Hamburg, Germany

The momentum gathered from a successful few days at the Velo-city Conference continued at the UITP Summit in Hamburg, the world’s most important public transport congress, welcoming over 10,000 sector professionals each year.

During the summit, representatives from lead partner Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg- Borough of Altona engaged in vital discussions on multimodal transport linkages, particularly integrating walking and cycling with public transport and rental-bike services.

The occasion also provided an opportunity for Hamburg-Altona to host a bike ride showcasing the latest approaches towards cycling infrastructure and technologies in the city. Under the headline of “Radkultur”, active mobility was show alongside the potential impact of BATS within Hamburg.

The summit underscored the importance of flexible, integrated transport systems that ensure public rental bikes serve as efficient, last-mile solutions, and throughout an inspiring three days, BATS partners connected with international experts, early-career researchers, and operators — reinforcing the project’s mission to foster active mobility as a sustainable, year-round travel option.

The BATS project on display at the UITP Summit

Our attendance and participation in these highly important events reaffirmed the BATS commitment to building sustainable, all-season active mobility systems, engaging with a range of influential stakeholders, and sharing our significant project findings and resources. Congratulations to all involved!

Active Mobility was a key theme during the event in Hamburg

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