AI in Mobility Challenge Tested How AI Can Support Sustainable Travel

In 2025, the City of Espoo joined forces with Finnish AI Region (FAIR EDIH) and Nokia to organise the AI in Mobility Challenge, an innovation competition focused on using artificial intelligence to support smarter and more sustainable mobility. Five companies participated, proposing solutions ranging from logistics optimisation to services designed to encourage more sustainable travel choices. The winning team received a €10,000 development grant and the opportunity to pilot its solution in a real-world setting.

The winning concept, Event Talks, was developed by NinjaLABO. The application aimed to help people choose the most suitable way to travel to events by combining information from multiple sources, including public transport, cycling routes, parking availability, weather conditions and time of day.

What made the solution particularly interesting was its use of behavioural nudges. Instead of simply providing route information, it encouraged users to consider more sustainable travel options. For example, if weather conditions were suitable for cycling, the application could suggest travelling by bike and provide practical reminders such as dressing warmly.

To test the concept, a pilot was carried out at the RecoTech event in Helsinki, which brought together several hundred participants from across the Helsinki region and beyond. Event attendees received access to the application through the event's official communications.

While user numbers remained modest, the pilot provided valuable lessons. The experience showed that even well-designed digital services can struggle to gain traction if they require people to adopt yet another application. RecoTech participants were already using other digital tools for registration and networking, making it difficult to attract attention to an additional optional service before the event.

This insight was one of the most important outcomes of the challenge. The success of mobility innovations depends not only on smart technology but also on how seamlessly solutions fit into people's everyday habits and existing digital services.

The AI in Mobility Challenge demonstrated both the potential of AI-powered mobility solutions and the importance of testing them in real-world environments. By bringing together cities, technology experts and innovative companies, the challenge provided valuable knowledge that can help shape future sustainable mobility services in Espoo and beyond.