Mobility, from the laboratory to the road: the 10-million Most plan for the post-PNRR era

High-speed rail alone is not enough. Unless intermodal transport comes into play – creating a link with other modes of transport, networks and services – some of the benefits are lost along the way. At the Most 2026 event in Rome, ‘Mobility as a System’, the focus is on the transition from projects to practical applications: how to bring technologies to market and into everyday life. But also how to continue along the path set out by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

The National Centre for Sustainable Mobility, established in 2022 with funding from the Plan, has presented a review of the work carried out and its next steps. Firstly, on the financial front: ‘€378 million from the NRRP’ has been channelled over the last three years into ‘research, technology transfer and operational support for sustainable mobility’, explains a statement. The figure includes ‘over 50 prototypes and 90 projects at an advanced stage of technological development, with a total value of around 110 million euros’. But now it is time to move from theory to practice. The new plan is worth around 10 million euros: the largest share, 5.5 million, goes to the Fast Track to Market programme, designed to guide research findings towards practical applications and the market. There is also provision for €1.5 million for projects driven by industrial needs, €1 million for start-ups and €500,000 to facilitate access to research infrastructure.

The aim is to bridge the gap between the laboratory and industry. However, according to Most’s president, Ferruccio Resta, ‘without regulations, technology remains a prototype’. For Resta, ‘the question is not what will happen to Most after the NRRP, but what sort of mobility we want for the Italia of tomorrow’. And this transition requires decisions: ‘The tools are there, and they are ours: now we need the courage to make choices,’ he adds. Even the smallest companies are involved in the Centre’s work. ‘Through calls for proposals, 174 SMEs have been involved’; in the two-year period 2024–2025, entrepreneurship initiatives attracted over 300 applications and awarded €8.5 million in grants to 50 start-ups. In addition to this, €2.9 million has been invested in equity in nine innovative start-ups. Looking ahead, Most has announced a consolidation plan for 2027–2029 and a pipeline of over €70 million for MUR and European projects for the two-year period 2027–2028. Among the areas of research are ‘the decarbonisation of transport, autonomous and connected mobility, infrastructure safety and innovation in logistics’, explains the Centre. The common thread linking them is the use of data and technologies to connect vehicles, networks and services.

“We may have the fastest train, the smartest car, the most technologically advanced port, but if these systems do not communicate with one another, we lose a huge part of their potential,” observes Anna Maria Bernini, Minister for Universities and Research. Continuity following the NRRP is the key political issue: “We want to consolidate this model, ensure continuity in investment, and transform the networks created under the NRRP into a permanent asset for the country.” An example of this in practice comes from the motorways. Arrigo Giana, Chief Executive of Autostrade per l’Italia, highlights the work on the Naples Ring Road, which he describes as the ‘first Italian Smart Road certified by the MIT’, built in collaboration with MOST. Smart cameras, sensors and antennas enable the collection of traffic data and the development of services such as ‘Dynamic Speed Limit’, which suggests the optimal speed to improve traffic flow and safety. For the head of Aspi, ‘innovation is an essential element for the future of the motorway sector’. The group’s commitment translates into ‘over 3.3 billion euros of investment in maintenance, infrastructure and technology between 2025 and the first half of 2026 alone’. Senate Vice-President Licia Ronzulli brings the discussion full circle: ‘Sustainable mobility is not a one-off measure but a systemic choice.’ For this reason, she argues, ‘we now need to return to investing with continuity and vision’, including maintenance, safety and the resilience of transport networks.