Launch of the Research Program "Digitalization and Decarbonization of Mobility" (PEPR MOBIDEC)
An ambitious program, leveraging the entire national ecosystem, mobilized around the decarbonization of transportation
Decarbonizing mobility is a major challenge. The ambition of the Digitalization and Decarbonization of Mobility Research Program is to mobilize and federate around this issue all stakeholders: the French scientific community (research organizations, universities, schools), as well as public decision-makers, actors in territorial planning, transport and data operators, infrastructure managers, and industrialists.
With a duration of 8 years, the program supports the objective set by the Ecological Planning to reduce by 66 Mt eq CO2 the emissions related to the mobility of goods (30 Mt eq CO2) and people (36 Mt eq CO2) by 2030. It is part of the France 2030 actions carried out within the framework of the "Digitalization and Decarbonization of Mobility" acceleration strategy.
Three complementary research axes
At the beginning of 2024 and 2026, two calls for projects operated by the ANR will be launched to foster ambitious research projects led by consortia bringing together stakeholders in a cross-disciplinary manner. These calls will focus on three thematic axes: improving understanding of both goods and people mobility, data analysis and processing, and modeling and simulation to optimize decision-making.
The selected projects will host doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, thereby developing skills and the research and innovation community on these topics.
The program also includes three "targeted" projects:
- The MiDMob project will focus on understanding usage patterns and what determines the needs and choices made individually (by individuals or companies) in terms of mobility for goods and people.
- The Mob Sci-Dat Factory project aims to improve methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing heterogeneous mobility data.
- The FORBAC project will build on the first two to propose decision support tools allowing, on the one hand, to simulate changes (public policies, infrastructures, and new offerings) and evaluate their impacts, and, on the other hand, to define objectives (reduction of emissions, costs, etc.) and identify the changes that would allow to achieve them.
Furthermore, annual dedicated meetings will allow sharing results and gathering the needs of stakeholders and territories.
"A better understanding of mobility data and their analysis will provide crucial tools to guide territories towards achieving decarbonization goals," emphasizes Gilles Corde, Program Manager at IFP Energies nouvelles.
"The challenge of decarbonization must engage a broad community, working together to create knowledge with a truly interdisciplinary approach," adds Corinne Blanquart, First Vice-President of Gustave Eiffel University.
Key numbers
- 30 millions d'euros of funding over 8 years
- 50 doctoral or postdoctoral contracts envisaged
- 1st quarter of 2024: 1st Call for Projects with 8 million euros of grants
- 1st quarter of 2026: 2nd Call for Projects with 6.5 million euros of grants
The State allocates 3 billion euros from France 2030 for research through ambitious research programs (PEPR), led by research institutions to consolidate French leadership in key areas; related or likely to be related to technological, economic, societal, health or environmental transformation, and which are considered as priorities at the national or European level.
The National Research Agency (ANR) is the operator of the PEPR on behalf of the State.