Mobility Labs Austria: Catalysts for the Mobility Transition
Vision
Mobility labs make new solutions for the mobility transition visible and tangible. They help shape a mobility system that is sustainable, safe, and socially equitable.
Mission
Mobility labs bring together stakeholders from research, business, administration, and society, reaching beyond individual projects. Starting from real-world mobility challenges on the ground, they work with relevant partners to develop concrete, context-specific solutions. In doing so, they build networks, knowledge, and competencies that enable new mobility solutions to be tested and experienced in real-world settings. In this way, mobility labs help ensure that successful approaches are mainstreamed, refined, and scaled.
Why does Austria need Mobility Labs?
The Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) funds mobility labs to bring innovation into practice and closer to people. They provide a space where new, needs-based solutions can be developed, tested, and implemented together with users and decision-makers. In doing so, they make a vital contribution toward achieving a climate-neutral mobility system by 2040.
The impact of the mobility labs at a glance (LINK EINFÜGEN FALLS ÜBERSETZUNG).
The Support Process for the Mobility Labs
Mobility Labs Austria come together through various exchange formats as part of the support process run by AustriaTech under the Austrian Mobility Lab Initiative. The aim is to make the most of each mobility lab's potential within the initiative and to encourage mutual complementarity in terms of content, strategy, and resources. The support process strengthens information and knowledge sharing as well as joint learning between the innovation labs and the BMIMI, while also driving the continued development of the Mobility Lab Initiative. At the international level, exchange is fostered through networking activities (ENoLL) and conference contributions. More detailed information on the five key characteristics of the support process can be found here.
Historical Overview
Contact
National Contact Point (AustriaTech)
DI Nataša Hodzic-Srndic
Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI)
Magdalena Weichselbraun-Palavecino, MSc (Department III/4)
The Diverse Offerings of Mobility Labs Austria
There are currently four "Urban Mobility Labs," five "Regional Mobility Labs," and one location-independent mobility lab. Each brings local expertise and a thorough understanding of the respective local or regional challenges.
Urban Mobility Labs
aspern.Mobil Lab
The aspern.mobil LAB is based in Vienna's Seestadt, one of the largest urban development areas in Europe, where it works with residents to develop sustainable mobility solutions. Its particular focus is on citizen science and resident support in the area of neighborhood-level mobility. The mobility lab also offers innovative mobility consulting for households and businesses, as well as smartphone-based mobility surveys capturing the travel behavior of Seestadt residents.
thinkport Vienna
thinkport Vienna is part of the Port of Vienna, putting it right at the heart of today's pressing logistics challenges. Its thematic focus is on developing and implementing innovative solutions in urban freight mobility. A key area of emphasis is the integration of renewable energy and freight mobility to foster sustainable, efficient, and future-proof urban logistics systems. The thinkport VIENNA team offers services including project support and the provision of infrastructure for testing new technologies and concepts.
Mobi.Lab OÖ
Mobi.Lab OÖ operates in the central area of Upper Austria (Linz–Steyr–Wels), where it primarily tackles business-related traffic challenges. The mobility lab team designs and coordinates inter-company mobility solutions in partnership with businesses, cities, and municipalities — for example through the carpooling app DOMINO. The lab also analyzes and supports the rollout of low-carbon last-mile logistics with local partners, hubs, and electric vehicles.
zukunftswege.at
Salzburg's distinctive topography and its location on the German border give rise to particular traffic challenges, which the zukunftswege.at mobility lab addresses. Its thematic focus is on mobility data and the eco-mobility network. The mobility lab offers consulting, awareness-raising, networking and knowledge transfer, as well as infrastructure such as data resources and test corridors.
Regional Mobility Labs
CMC
The regional mobility labs address the specific mobility challenges found in rural areas. The Centre for Mobility Change focuses on driving sustainable shifts in mobility behavior in the digital age, with a thematic emphasis on tourism mobility. It works with municipalities, particularly in rural and alpine areas of Tyrol. The CMC Wiki serves as a platform for building and sharing knowledge. The mobility lab also offers a range of communication formats.
land.mobil:LAB
The land.mobil:LAB (LML) is rooted in the Waldviertel region. Working together with the State of Lower Austria, Waldviertel municipalities, mobility service providers, businesses, event organizers, and local citizens, it tests innovative mobility solutions to advance the mobility transition in rural areas and strengthen the rural mobility research landscape. The LML's services include implementation consulting for innovation projects, pilot project support, and the evaluation of mobility infrastructure.
AmWy.mobility Lab
The AmWy.mobility Lab — the regional mobility lab for Amstetten–Waidhofen an der Ybbs — serves as an ideal testing ground for the rapid trialing of innovative mobility solutions. In close collaboration with regional stakeholders, AmWy.mobility provides a framework for developing coordinated cross-regional mobility strategies. Key contributions include the preparation and provision of regional passenger and freight mobility data, as well as formats for mobility education and awareness-raising.
Mobireg
Mobireg promotes sustainable mobility in rural areas, with a focus on micro public transport and supra-regional connectivity. The lab identifies synergy potential and supports municipalities, businesses, NGOs, and other regional stakeholders in developing project implementations, group processes, and business models. There is a particular emphasis on the inclusion of vulnerable groups and the promotion of participatory processes. Services include traffic flow analyses and assessments of critical infrastructure.
Plan b-Lab
Plan b-Lab looks at mobility in the context of city–hinterland relationships. The lab is backed by the state capital Bregenz and the seven surrounding municipalities of Hard, Kennelbach, Lauterach, Lochau, Lustenau, Schwarzach, and Wolfurt in the lower Vorarlberg Rhine Valley — an area home to around 100,000 residents. The mobility lab conducts mobility surveys and indicator monitoring, and promotes inter-municipal cooperation and regional mobility management.
Location-Independent Mobility Lab
Policy Lab
The location-independent Policy Lab has been working at the national level since its founding in 2022, collaborating with policymakers and public administration on mobility and innovation topics that affect cities and federal states. Its goal is to develop improved framework conditions and innovative approaches to governance and problem-solving in order to advance mobility policy objectives and contribute to meeting Austria's climate targets. The Policy Lab's services include analyses of good practices as well as expertise in storytelling, narrative development, and communication.