EU project metacaZZeAccelerating Europe’s Transition to Zero-Emission Urban Mobility - Steinbeis makes visible urban solutions
The transport sector accounts for over 30% of total energy consumption and around 25% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. This is why the EU wants to reduce transport-related emissions by 90% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels and make 100 cities climate-neutral by 2030.
Achieving these EU goals needs more than technology; it demands bold action and tangible transformation. With the EU project metaCCAZE ten European cities transform how people and goods move in cities by deploying electric, automated, and connected mobility solutions. The project addresses emerging challenges, including inefficient charging, limited grid capacity, fragmented mobility services, and the need for seamlessly integrated systems.
To prove their potential in real, complex, and diverse environments, metaCCAZE is running large-scale demonstrations in four Trailblazer Cities: on-demand minibuses and shared e-bikes in Limassol; cargo bike deliveries in Munich; an autonomous electric waterborne vessel for waste logistics in Amsterdam; Finland’s first commercially operated automated bus route in Tampere. These demonstrations are expected to generate data on emissions reduction, operational efficiency, and user satisfaction, helping Europe understand what it takes to implement zero-emission mobility at scale.
Six Follower Cities (Athens, Kraków, Gozo, Milan, Miskolc, and Poissy, Yvelines in the Paris Region) are now further developing the successful and proven concept of the Trailblazer cities. For example, Athens integrates more than 200 e-buses into its fleet, while Gozo plans to deploy an autonomous e-bus service. Throughout the project, metaCCAZE collaborates with citizens, transport operators, city leaders, and businesses. This approach ensures the solutions truly meet cities' needs and support long-term green goals.
As a project partner, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum plays a key role, in coordinating communication and dissemination activities. In addition to supporting cities in developing effective local communication strategies, Steinbeis leads the creation of the project’s corporate identity and manages global communication channels, including the website, newsletter, and social media.
Steinbeis also promotes partner participation in key industry and scientific events and develops communication materials (e.g., videos, infographics) to help cities beyond the consortium, as well as citizens, understand and potentially replicate the project’s mobility solutions. For example, it presented the project at the European Commission's joint stand at the Smart City World Congress in Barcelona in November 2025. A total of 26 partner organizations were represented at the stand. As the lead partner for communication and event management for the Smart Cities Marketplace and an expert in technology transfer, Steinbeis thus provided a platform for diverse networking and knowledge transfer.
In parallel, Steinbeis oversees the EU-funded project budget of nearly €25 million, distributed among 44 partners across 12 countries.
https://www.metaccaze-project.eu/
„As a trailblazer city in the EU-funded metaCCAZE project, we have worked with our project partners to develop innovative solutions for emission-free urban logistics. We are particularly proud of the opening of Germany's largest bicycle logistics hub. Cargo bike logistics not only contributes to reducing emissions but also helps to reduce traffic searching for parking spaces, double parking and idle times in public spaces. In addition, as part of the project, delivery zones in Munich were equipped with sensors for the first time, which provide real-time information on occupancy via an app to navigate commercial traffic to available parking spaces. We would like to express our sincere thanks for the excellent support in public relations, especially in the context of the Smart City Expo World Congress, where we were able to present the project in various formats organised by Steinbeis Europa Zentrum. This has contributed significantly to presenting our progress and goals to an international audience of experts.“
Dr. Annika Paul and Jeanette de Pauli, Project Manager metaCCAZE DCM, Mobilitätsreferat der Landeshauptstadt MünchenContact us!
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