UPPER Project at the 12th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR 2025)
UPPER was effectively presented at the 12th International Congress on Transportation Research (ICTR), held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from October 16 to 18, 2025. The conference served as an excellent warm-up platform for engaging with key stakeholders and demonstrating the project's progress and significant results, as the city will be hosting the next project General Assembly in December
The ICTR has been a major event in the field of transportation research and development for the past 23 years. The local and international academic and research community, along with the public sector and industry, have actively participated and supported the ICTR series for over two decades. The forthcoming ICTR 2025 aspires to host innovative research and development work in transportation and mobility, in Greece and abroad. The ICTR 2025 aims to present cutting-edge research in transportation, bridge research findings with policymaking efforts, and foster knowledge exchange at both local and international levels. It seeks to draw insights and develop recommendations for translating research outcomes into real-world applications.
During the 1st day, the UPPER project was prominently featured during Workshop VII, which focused on Low Emission Zones. Mr. Efstathios Triantafyllidis, Research Associate at CERTH-HIT, made a presentation on the analysis for the UPPER measure TES_02: Simulation and analysis of PT needs for LEZ demand fulfilment.
He detailed the approach and preliminary findings to an engaged audience comprised of workshop participants. The audience was notably diverse, comprising representatives from various local and regional authorities, transport planners, and university students. The workshop fostered an interactive environment, culminating in a dynamic group project. This activity tasked the students with a practical challenge: to define the characteristics and operational framework of a potential LEZ within the city of Thessaloniki. This session not only disseminated UPPER's work but also facilitated knowledge transfer to the next generation of transport professionals and gathered valuable feedback from public authority stakeholders.
Workshop II: Unlocking Mobility Innovation
The UPPER project was also highlighted during Workshop II: "Unlocking Mobility Innovation: Analyzing and sharing research data and defining MaaS business models". This workshop attracted a high-profile audience, including key figures from Thessaloniki's public transport operator, representatives from various micromobility companies active in the city, and officials from the municipal government. This mix of participants from both the public and private sectors ensured a rich and comprehensive discussion. The session featured a very interesting and productive conversation between the participants and the workshop's expert panel.
Dr. Andreas Nikiforiadis, Associate Researcher at CERTH-HIT and Assistant Professor in Democritus University of Thrace, served as one of the panel members. During the discussion, he effectively showcased several of UPPER's positive results and their tangible benefits for the city of Thessaloniki. His contribution sparked significant interest and underlined the project's relevance in shaping sustainable urban mobility solutions with influential local stakeholders. The impressive results showcased by Dr. Nikiforiadis generated significant enthusiasm among the attendees. Following the formal discussion, representatives from several local organizations expressed a strong interest in scheduling follow-up meetings to explore opportunities for scaling up the UPPER measures across Thessaloniki.
The ICTR 2025 conference proved to be an excellent opportunity for the dissemination of the UPPER project. We successfully communicated our objectives and findings to a targeted and influential audience, strengthening the project's visibility and impact within the transport research and policy-making communities.
To learn more about Thessaloniki's role in Upper click here
