Background

Mobility labs support research work on transport and mobility, thereby pursuing the goal of putting promising technologies and innovations into practice. In other words, they turn ideas and insights into real applications. Key topics are first and last mile logistics, freight logistics, mobility as a service, and active mobility. Moreover, the labs attach importance to a lively exchange with relevant stakeholders and interest groups.

Most mobility labs in Austria concentrate on challenges in urban settings. However, we also need regional mobility labs because rural communities and regions face other traffic and spatial planning obstacles than the cities. The scattered structures, the topography in general, and the greater distances to the neighbouring centres – to name just a few of these differences – require public transport solutions that are tailored to the circumstances.

Project Content

Regional Mobility Labs (RML) are new in Austria and have yet to establish themselves. In this project, we join forces with the municipality of Amstetten to find out whether such a lab is feasible here. The town and its surroundings have very good transport connections, are well-linked to the Westautobahn (west motorway), and the network of roads and public transport are well developed. When it comes to the so-called “last mile” in public transport, on the other hand, there is certainly room for improvement. While Amstetten has its own city bus network and offers bicycle and car sharing, private cars are still the dominating means of transport. Apart from that, resource-sensitive land use, the promotion of sustainable personal mobility, and the reduction of emissions are important topics for the city administration. This shows that a potential RML would have various tasks to work on.

Objectives and Methods

The main target of the exploratory project is to determine whether a Regional Mobility Lab in the Amstetten region can be implemented. The first step is to explore relevant challenges and needs in the region when it comes to the mobility of persons and goods. Based on this, potential fields of action will be outlined, the required services and measures derived, and the expected effects for society, economy, and ecology evaluated. Great importance is attached to the topics of sustainability and the integration of stakeholders and representatives from the economy, politics, society (citizens), public administration, and research. The key objectives of the project AM.mobility.lab are to:

• Identify and carve out the challenges faced by the Amstetten region when it comes to the mobility of persons and goods, taking into account all regional stakeholders if possible.
• Point out possible fields of action and derive suitable services and measures.
• Clarify possible organisational forms and financing options for an RML.
• Develop concepts for self-evaluation and the assessment of the expected social, economic, and ecological impacts on the region.
• Create a basis for a follow-up project to establish an RML Amstetten.

Results

The exploratory project AM.mobility.lab seeks to find out which possibilities there are to redesign and restructure the mobility of persons and goods in the Amstetten region, to what extent it makes sense to launch a Regional Mobility Lab in this particular region, how it can be structured, organised, and financed, and which potential services it should offer. Interest groups and relevant stakeholders will be integrated into the exploratory project to secure broad support for the endeavour. While effects leading to more sustainability and climate friendliness cannot be achieved at the exploratory stage, this project aims to lay the foundation for this goal.

The FFG is the central national funding organization and strengthens Austria's innovative power. This project is funded by the FFG