Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SINFONICA (Social INnovation to FOster iNclusIve Cooperative, connected and Automated mobility)
Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31
The SINFONICA project aimed to drive the transition toward innovative and smart CCAM concepts through a user-centric participatory approach that captures the needs, concerns, and expectations of users, suppliers, and stakeholders. Grounded in social innovation, its goal was to make CCAM public transport technologies and services inclusive, equitable, and accessible, particularly for people with mobility challenges.
A multidisciplinary consortium of public authorities, universities, companies, and research centres—including SSH experts—was formed to achieve this. The participatory approach engaged users, stakeholders, and service providers to build a solid knowledge base on their attitudes toward CCAM.
Co-creation activities took place in four European territories—Hamburg (Germany), Trikala (Greece), West Midlands (UK), and Noord Brabant (Netherlands)—through Groups of Interest (GoIs) representing diverse user and stakeholder categories.
SINFONICA transformed the insights gained into knowledge maps, lessons learned, and recommendations for large-scale CCAM demonstrators and provide an open-access Knowledge Map Explorer, enabling consultation of collected data on public transport users’ and stakeholders’ attitudes toward CCAM.
A multidisciplinary consortium of public authorities, universities, companies, and research centres—including SSH experts—was formed to achieve this. The participatory approach engaged users, stakeholders, and service providers to build a solid knowledge base on their attitudes toward CCAM.
Co-creation activities took place in four European territories—Hamburg (Germany), Trikala (Greece), West Midlands (UK), and Noord Brabant (Netherlands)—through Groups of Interest (GoIs) representing diverse user and stakeholder categories.
SINFONICA transformed the insights gained into knowledge maps, lessons learned, and recommendations for large-scale CCAM demonstrators and provide an open-access Knowledge Map Explorer, enabling consultation of collected data on public transport users’ and stakeholders’ attitudes toward CCAM.
SINFONICA made substantial progress in developing an inclusive, user-centred approach to Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM). The project built a strong knowledge base on mobility needs, particularly for vulnerable users, and laid the foundations for a participatory framework to guide inclusive CCAM solutions.
Under WP1, the consortium mapped user needs and requirements, defined a common CCAM vocabulary, identified deployment gaps, and established the Groups of Interest (GoIs) that underpin all participatory activities. These outputs, presented in Deliverables D1.1–D1.3 and the MS3 report, provided a solid basis for subsequent work.
Building on this, WP2 designed and validated stakeholder engagement methodologies and participatory tools—such as interviews, focus groups, and workshops—to capture citizens’ and stakeholders’ perspectives on CCAM. A multilingual survey collected 4,487 responses across Europe, while a simulation platform was developed to assess the inclusivity and accessibility of CCAM services.
WP3 implemented this participatory approach in four research sites—Trikala (Greece), Noord-Brabant (Netherlands), West Midlands (UK), and Hamburg (Germany)—representing diverse social and transport contexts. Over 284 interviews, 34 focus groups, and 12 workshops explored perceptions of trust, safety, equity, and accessibility. Using the SINFONICA Evaluation Framework, engagement methods were monitored and adapted to local conditions, ensuring inclusiveness and consistency. Data from participatory activities fed into the Knowledge Map Explorer, while simulation scenarios modelled mobility patterns and accessibility challenges for vulnerable groups. The resulting Decision-Support Tool, based on an enhanced Agent-Based Simulation framework, enables testing of CCAM services under various profiles and conditions to assess inclusivity in future designs.
In WP4, the consortium developed the SINFONICA Knowledge Map Explorer, a semantic-based system combining ontologies, reasoning mechanisms, and an accessibility-focused interface. The tool was tested and validated with end users and stakeholders, ensuring robustness, usability, and acceptance.
WP5 deepened the understanding of equity and inclusion in CCAM by analysing indicators from 40 European and national projects. It examined accessibility gaps and policy barriers, introduced a “journey flow” framework (D5.2) to analyse user experiences, and produced policy recommendations (D5.3) and practical guidance (D5.4) for inclusive CCAM demonstrations. Results were validated through workshops in Birmingham, Den Bosch, Brussels, and Ispra (EUCAD Conference), engaging citizens, experts, and policymakers.
WP6 established a strong communication and dissemination framework (D6.1–D6.5) and built SINFONICA’s brand identity. The project reached 557 LinkedIn followers, published 17 scientific papers, and created the Group of Followers (GoF)—a network of 80 stakeholders supporting knowledge transfer and exploitation. Capacity-building and networking activities strengthened links with other CCAM initiatives and the CCAM Partnership.
Finally, WP7 ensured effective project, financial, and technical coordination, supported by robust quality, risk, and ethics management. A key innovation was the customization of the GUEST Methodology for Innovation Management, tailored to CCAM services and business models to promote inclusion of people with mobility challenges.
Under WP1, the consortium mapped user needs and requirements, defined a common CCAM vocabulary, identified deployment gaps, and established the Groups of Interest (GoIs) that underpin all participatory activities. These outputs, presented in Deliverables D1.1–D1.3 and the MS3 report, provided a solid basis for subsequent work.
Building on this, WP2 designed and validated stakeholder engagement methodologies and participatory tools—such as interviews, focus groups, and workshops—to capture citizens’ and stakeholders’ perspectives on CCAM. A multilingual survey collected 4,487 responses across Europe, while a simulation platform was developed to assess the inclusivity and accessibility of CCAM services.
WP3 implemented this participatory approach in four research sites—Trikala (Greece), Noord-Brabant (Netherlands), West Midlands (UK), and Hamburg (Germany)—representing diverse social and transport contexts. Over 284 interviews, 34 focus groups, and 12 workshops explored perceptions of trust, safety, equity, and accessibility. Using the SINFONICA Evaluation Framework, engagement methods were monitored and adapted to local conditions, ensuring inclusiveness and consistency. Data from participatory activities fed into the Knowledge Map Explorer, while simulation scenarios modelled mobility patterns and accessibility challenges for vulnerable groups. The resulting Decision-Support Tool, based on an enhanced Agent-Based Simulation framework, enables testing of CCAM services under various profiles and conditions to assess inclusivity in future designs.
In WP4, the consortium developed the SINFONICA Knowledge Map Explorer, a semantic-based system combining ontologies, reasoning mechanisms, and an accessibility-focused interface. The tool was tested and validated with end users and stakeholders, ensuring robustness, usability, and acceptance.
WP5 deepened the understanding of equity and inclusion in CCAM by analysing indicators from 40 European and national projects. It examined accessibility gaps and policy barriers, introduced a “journey flow” framework (D5.2) to analyse user experiences, and produced policy recommendations (D5.3) and practical guidance (D5.4) for inclusive CCAM demonstrations. Results were validated through workshops in Birmingham, Den Bosch, Brussels, and Ispra (EUCAD Conference), engaging citizens, experts, and policymakers.
WP6 established a strong communication and dissemination framework (D6.1–D6.5) and built SINFONICA’s brand identity. The project reached 557 LinkedIn followers, published 17 scientific papers, and created the Group of Followers (GoF)—a network of 80 stakeholders supporting knowledge transfer and exploitation. Capacity-building and networking activities strengthened links with other CCAM initiatives and the CCAM Partnership.
Finally, WP7 ensured effective project, financial, and technical coordination, supported by robust quality, risk, and ethics management. A key innovation was the customization of the GUEST Methodology for Innovation Management, tailored to CCAM services and business models to promote inclusion of people with mobility challenges.
• Customized Innovation Framework: Adapted the GUEST Methodology to CCAM services and business models, supporting public and private stakeholders in engaging people with reduced mobility (D7.3 update in D7.5).
• Human-Centred Co-Creation: Integrated SSH expertise to bridge technology and human perspectives, enhancing understanding of vulnerable users in CCAM (MS3, D3.1 D3.3 D4.2).
• Inclusive Design Strategies: Developed digital and non-digital participatory methods to engage all citizens and vulnerable groups in CCAM design (D2.1 D2.2).
• Knowledge Map Explorer: Created a semantic tool offering user-context-based guidance for inclusive CCAM planning and deployment (D4.2).
• Simulation for Scalability: Designed simulation models to upscale innovative transport measures and assess their mobility impacts (D2.3 D3.4).
• Inclusive Engagement: Pioneered participatory methods combining qualitative and quantitative approaches (interviews, focus groups, large-scale survey) to map user needs on trust, safety, and accessibility; developed a simulation platform for inclusivity testing.
• Decision-Support & Evaluation: Advanced co-creation with vulnerable users, designed a Decision-Support Tool using the MATSim framework, and delivered an EU-recognized Participatory Evaluation Framework integrated into the EU-CEM Handbook (D3.1–D3.4).
• Semantic Knowledge Platform: Developed the Knowledge Map Explorer, integrating ontologies, rule-based reasoning, and user profiling to provide personalized, accessibility-focused recommendations validated through user testing.
• Policy & Implementation Framework: Produced a “Journey Flow” model and actionable policy, implementation, and communication guidelines for inclusive CCAM deployment, validated through EU-wide stakeholder workshops (D5.2–D5.4).
• Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Established the Group of Followers (GoF) with 80 members, launched a Europe-wide capacity-building program, and introduced a policy dialogue model linking research results to EU strategies (D6.2 D6.4 D6.5).
• Human-Centred Co-Creation: Integrated SSH expertise to bridge technology and human perspectives, enhancing understanding of vulnerable users in CCAM (MS3, D3.1 D3.3 D4.2).
• Inclusive Design Strategies: Developed digital and non-digital participatory methods to engage all citizens and vulnerable groups in CCAM design (D2.1 D2.2).
• Knowledge Map Explorer: Created a semantic tool offering user-context-based guidance for inclusive CCAM planning and deployment (D4.2).
• Simulation for Scalability: Designed simulation models to upscale innovative transport measures and assess their mobility impacts (D2.3 D3.4).
• Inclusive Engagement: Pioneered participatory methods combining qualitative and quantitative approaches (interviews, focus groups, large-scale survey) to map user needs on trust, safety, and accessibility; developed a simulation platform for inclusivity testing.
• Decision-Support & Evaluation: Advanced co-creation with vulnerable users, designed a Decision-Support Tool using the MATSim framework, and delivered an EU-recognized Participatory Evaluation Framework integrated into the EU-CEM Handbook (D3.1–D3.4).
• Semantic Knowledge Platform: Developed the Knowledge Map Explorer, integrating ontologies, rule-based reasoning, and user profiling to provide personalized, accessibility-focused recommendations validated through user testing.
• Policy & Implementation Framework: Produced a “Journey Flow” model and actionable policy, implementation, and communication guidelines for inclusive CCAM deployment, validated through EU-wide stakeholder workshops (D5.2–D5.4).
• Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Established the Group of Followers (GoF) with 80 members, launched a Europe-wide capacity-building program, and introduced a policy dialogue model linking research results to EU strategies (D6.2 D6.4 D6.5).