RESULTS ACHIEVED
The JULIA project has made substantial progress in demonstrating how European space technologies can enhance the performance, sustainability, and resilience of public transport systems:
- Integration of Galileo services (HAS, OSNMA): High-accuracy and authenticated positioning solutions have been assessed for different use cases.
- TransitTech Operating System: A modular digital backbone for Public Transport Operators (PTOs) has been prototyped.
- Environmental and climate applications: Tools using Copernicus datasets provide air-quality-based mobility recommendations and climate resilience indicators to PTOs and travellers, enhancing decision-making for healthier and more sustainable journeys.
- Pilot preparation: Local and technical requirements have been collected for demonstrations in Catalonia, Slovenia, and Greece, alongside city-level dashboards for 10 additional pilot cities.
- Stakeholder engagement and dissemination: PTOs and authorities have been directly involved in defining requirements and piloting, while dissemination activities (e.g. Global Observatory of EU Space Data & Services in Public Transport, conferences, success stories) have built awareness among industry and policy actors.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
- Societal: Improved reliability, accessibility, and safety of public transport through accurate tracking, demand-responsive services, and cleaner travel choices, directly supporting modal shift and reducing car dependency.
- Environmental: Reduced exposure to pollution for citizens, improved resilience of transport networks to climate change, and support for EU climate neutrality goals.
- Economic: New business opportunities for SMEs and technology providers in the Galileo and Copernicus downstream markets, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in TransitTech and mobility innovation.
- Policy and governance: Evidence for cities and transport authorities on how space data can support Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), air quality policies, and climate resilience strategies.
KEY NEEDS FOR FURTHER UPTAKE AND SUCCESS
- Further research and demonstration: execution of the pilots during the last part of the project is needed to validate technical solutions under diverse real-world conditions, including integration with existing ITS infrastructures.
- Access to markets and finance: Mechanisms to support SMEs and start-ups in scaling solutions and entering procurement processes of PTOs and cities.
- Commercialisation and IPR management: Clear exploitation roadmaps, licensing models, and protection of software modules and algorithms to attract private investment.
- Supportive regulation and standardisation: Engagement with EU and national authorities to align with the Data Act, AI Act, and sectoral standards in transport and telecommunications, ensuring compliance and interoperability.
- Internationalisation: Alignment with global standards and export opportunities to position European TransitTech as a leader in integrating space technologies into public transport.
- Data governance and trust frameworks: Ensuring secure data sharing between PTOs, operators, and third parties, leveraging European data space initiatives.
