The CityMinds Summer School, held from 29 June to 3 July at the premises of the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) in Thessaloniki, once again brought together students, researchers, and professionals around a shared vision of sustainable urban mobility and entrepreneurial innovation.
The summer school was co-organized by the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT/CERTH), with the support of EIT Urban Mobility. This year’s edition focused on the theme “Boost Innovation Thinking & Entrepreneurial Skills in Smart Urban Mobility & City Logistics.”
Throughout the five-day programme, 46 students representing 10 countries attended lectures delivered by leading academics and professionals in the fields of mobility, logistics, transportation, and entrepreneurship. They also participated in site visits and interactive workshops, collaborating to develop innovative solutions to real-world urban mobility and city logistics challenges.
Represented by members of the Hellenic Design Centre, KEPA once again contributed to the design and facilitation of the programme’s Design Thinking workshops, supporting participants throughout their innovation journey.
Following an introduction to the principles and methodology of Design Thinking, participants worked in eight international teams, progressing through the complete innovation process by building empathy with users, defining the right challenges, generating ideas, and developing rapid prototypes. Throughout this journey, they strengthened their collaboration, creative problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills while addressing challenges related to sustainable last-mile delivery, urban freight management, intelligent public transport, traffic management, smart parking, and accessibility.
The programme concluded with the Project Pitching Workshop, where the eight teams presented their innovative concepts before an expert jury. The three winning solutions-Routero, ThessBus, and OPTIMAX- were recognised for their innovative approaches to addressing contemporary urban mobility and city logistics challenges, bringing an inspiring week of collaboration and learning to a successful close.
KEPA is delighted to have once again contributed to an initiative that empowers the next generation of innovators, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and demonstrates the value of Design Thinking as a driver of sustainable, human-centred innovation.
