The National Center for Mobility 4.0 is being established at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) of the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague. It connects academia, industry, public administration, and local governments, and supports the development of the digital economy in transport and mobility. At the same time, it aims to accelerate the transfer of research into practice and contribute to the transformation of transport towards data-driven, sustainable, and resilient mobility. A key part of the center’s long-term vision is the creation of a national digital transport twin, which will enable comprehensive modeling of transport and mobility in the Czech Republic and its integration with other domains such as energy, the environment, and urban planning.
The National Center for Mobility 4.0 (NCD 4.0) was first introduced to the professional community at the City Changers 2030 conference, held in March 2026 at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC) of CTU in Prague. The center presented its approach to digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence in transport and mobility, including its intention to build a national digital transport twin. A key impetus for establishing NCD 4.0 has been binding European requirements to develop sustainable mobility plans by 2027.
The center was introduced by its director, Prof. Miroslav Svítek, together with the Director of CIIRC CTU, Ondřej Velek. “Through its centers, CIIRC CTU has long been connecting cutting-edge research with practice in industry, construction, and smart cities. We are now extending this cooperation to transport and mobility through the National Center for Mobility 4.0, through which we aim to be a partner for both the state and industry in this field,” said Ondřej Velek.
More resilient cities through strategic mobility planning and risk management
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) regulation calls on key Czech cities and regions to prepare integrated Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP). This is not merely a formal requirement, but a systematic approach ensuring that every development project—from tram lines to cycling paths or logistics hubs—contributes to improving quality of life and to the long-term sustainability and resilience of cities and regions. These strategies will facilitate access to funding from European and other sources while delivering tangible improvements in everyday mobility, safety, and the overall competitiveness of Czech cities and regions.
“Transport represents the fundamental circulatory system of modern society and the economy. Without its digital transformation, the Czech Republic cannot succeed in global competition in the long term. The concept of Mobility 4.0, based on the use of artificial intelligence, is a key factor in addressing rising energy costs and disruptions in supply chains. Just as modern medicine relies on advanced diagnostic technologies, the future of transport and mobility will rely on data, information, and intelligent systems for qualified decision-making based on available knowledge,” said Prof. Svítek, adding: “We therefore see great potential in connecting capacities, data, and expertise that we can offer, including leveraging synergies within initiatives focused on deploying AI in practice, such as EDIH CTU, AI-MATTERS/TEF, or the newly established Czech AI Factory, of which CIIRC CTU is an active partner. Our goal is to contribute to the development of cooperation as well as concrete innovative solutions for a wide range of users.”
The broader context of the center’s establishment was also highlighted at the City Changers 2030 conference: “The Czech Republic has a unique opportunity to become a leader in the application of artificial intelligence for transport systems—if industry, the public sector, and academia join forces,” said Ondřej Velek.
NCD 4.0 activities focus on four key areas:
- AI in transport and mobility – the use of artificial intelligence in planning and managing transport and mobility across all relevant sectors
- Data and infrastructure – building data systems for real-time transport and mobility planning and management
- Digital twins – modeling and simulation of transport and logistics processes and related infrastructure, including risk management and identification of crisis situations
- Interoperability and resilience – ensuring interconnectivity and compatibility of individual systems within the built environment
More information about the center’s activities can be found at: https://ncd40.com/
