GEMINI: integrating shared mobility and MaaS in European cities

GEMINI is a European project funded through the Horizon Europe programme and led by UEMI. At its heart, it is a collaboration between 43 partners across Europe who share a common question: how can cities move towards climate neutral mobility without losing sight of how people actually get around every day?

In many cities, the building blocks are already there. Public transport runs alongside bike lanes, shared vehicles, scooters and walking routes. Yet for many people, moving through the city still feels fragmented. GEMINI starts from this everyday experience. It looks at urban mobility as something people navigate in real time, often balancing speed, cost, comfort and habit.

The project explores how different transport options can connect more naturally, especially through Mobility as a Service approaches shaped by daily routines rather than abstract plans.

What GEMINI is working towards

Cities need to reduce emissions, but they also need mobility to remain simple, reliable and accessible. GEMINI addresses this by focusing on integration instead of expansion. The project asks how new mobility services can fit into existing transport systems in ways that make sense for users and support city goals at the same time.

Its work centres on four areas that are already closely linked in practice: shared mobility services, active travel such as walking and cycling, micromobility, and their connection with public transport. Through MaaS approaches, GEMINI looks at how these elements can come together to support everyday journeys, not just ideal scenarios or best case assumptions.

Mobility Living Labs where cities actually move

A central part of GEMINI happens in Mobility Living Labs set up in eight European cities: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Munich, Paris, Porto and Turin.

These Living Labs are embedded in real urban contexts. They are places where cities, mobility providers and local communities work side by side to test ideas, adjust services and learn from lived experience. Solutions are shaped by local habits, constraints and priorities, allowing cities to see what works, what needs refining and what should be approached differently.

This way of working helps ensure that questions of user acceptance, environmental impact and financial viability are addressed early, while there is still room to adapt.

Building solutions that can last

Trying out new ideas is important, but change only matters if it lasts. For this reason, GEMINI also focuses on what happens beyond pilots. The project looks closely at how new mobility services can remain viable over time, once the testing phase is over.

By working across different cities and contexts, GEMINI explores what allows services to become part of everyday urban transport systems rather than temporary experiments. The focus is on supporting steady, long term change that cities can rely on, building mobility solutions that evolve with the people who use them and the places they serve.

Learn more about the GEMINI project and its activities

This article was originally published in 2023 and has been updated for clarity and relevance.