SOTERIA Final Event: From Living Labs to real world change in European road safety
On 28 April 2026, the SOTERIA Horizon Europe project held its Final Event at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, bringing together researchers, city authorities, technology providers, and road safety experts to demonstrate how data‑driven innovation can improve safety for Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) across Europe.
Under the theme “From Living Labs to real‑world change”, the event showcased SOTERIA’s journey from co‑creation and experimentation to pilot‑ready solutions and policy‑relevant outcomes.
The morning sessions focused on VRU behaviour and needs, highlighting how community co‑creation, behavioural research, and virtual‑reality‑based safety training contribute to more inclusive and trusted mobility solutions. Speakers stressed the importance of embedding VRU perspectives into local mobility strategies and policies.
Later sessions presented SOTERIA’s data‑driven safety intelligence, including the Safe Mobility Data Space, AI‑based risk prediction models, and explainable AI approaches that support transparent, evidence‑based decision‑making.
The event also featured deployable technologies such as on‑vehicle sensing for micromobility, AI‑enhanced hazard detection, safety‑weighted and pollution‑aware routing, and the SOTERIA mobile app, forming an integrated safety ecosystem ready for scale‑up.
A dedicated panel discussion on deploying a connected VRU safety stack in European cities brought together SOTERIA partners from the University of Deusto, who moderated the session, and DEKRA, alongside experts from Ingratek (representing the iDriving project), Tecnalia, and ASIMOB. The discussion emphasised the importance of cross‑sector collaboration, interoperability, and close alignment between innovation, regulation, and city operations.
We warmly thank the University of Deusto for hosting the event, the Netcompany RID department for organising the programme, and all speakers and participants for their insightful contributions and engaging discussions.
The Final Event concluded with a clear message: SOTERIA has laid the foundations for personalised, proactive, and explainable road safety, supporting Europe’s Vision Zero 2050 ambition.