SMARTA-NET – SMARTA-NET aims to promote sustainable and flexible mobility links between rural and remote areas and urban areas, taking into account the need to promote ecotourism.

SMARTA-NET was an initiative of the European Commission under DG MOVE, aimed at promoting sustainable and resilient mobility connections between rural areas, remote areas such as islands, and between remote rural areas (including isolated regions) and urban areas, while supporting ecotourism. SMARTA-NET concluded at the end of 2024. This website will continue to host a wide range of resources from the project and will be maintained in its current format until at least the end of 2027.

Guidance documents

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ERMN

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Events

SMARTA-NET organized a series of events including four online and three in-person events for European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) members including the Final Conference and a dedicated training program for rural communities to tackle mobility challenges and boost resilience through ecotourism. Explore the events page to learn more!

Resources database

Discover everything you need on smart mobility and ecotourism in one place!
Explore our comprehensive database, reports and newsletters and more.

SMARTA-NET NEWS

To achieve its goals, SMARTA-NET was:

• Establishing a European Rural Mobility Network to engage rural municipalities and other rural areas from all over Europe in capacity-building and exchange of knowledge and experience.

• Develop guidelines on Mobility & Tourism, Sustainable Rural Mobility Plans and Policy & Financing and deliver training to members of the European Rural Mobility Network

The SMARTA-NET Consortium partners

SMARTA-NET is led by MemEx (Italy), partnering with TIS (Portugal), E40 (Hungary), NIT (Germany) and Panteia (Netherlands).

Established in 1994 in Livorno, Italy, MemEx is a leading independent engineering consultancy with nearly 30 years of expertise in Intelligent Transport Systems, Rural and Shared Mobility, Traffic Management, and more. Actively engaged in European programs, MemEx has a rich history of leading and participating in international projects focused on rural mobility. In SMARTA-NET, MemEx serves as the Project Leader, overseeing all project activities, conducting assessments of over 30 mobility practices, managing financing options, contributing to guidance documents, and acting as the liaison partner for sites in Italy, Ireland, and Austria. Your contact persons are Brendan Finn and Andrea Lorenzini (Project coordinators) and Eleonora Ercoli and Elena Bargagna.

TIS is a Portuguese independent consultancy, with 30 years in the market, that provides knowledge and support to decision-makers on relevant EU policies, planning, economic evaluations and operations on all transport fields. The company brings to SMARTA-NET vast experience involving evaluations and impact assessments of relevant EU policies, and also expertise in capacity and knowledge building, training and development of guidance tools. The main contact points in the company include André Freitas, Daniela Carvalho, Luciana Pereira and Tiago Pina

E40 Europe is based in Hungary and the main focus of its work is supporting networking and empowering the local level through EU-wide projects & initiatives, especially in the field of rural development and Smart Villages. We are providing networking, communication, evaluation and technical support. Your contact persons are Edina Ocsko and Anita Balogh

NIT The Institute for Tourism Research in Northern Europe (NIT) is a German research and consultancy institution specialised in tourism issues and related subjects such as mobility and sustainability. As part of the SMARTA-NET project, the NIT is responsible for the integration of the tourism perspective on rural mobility. Your contact persons are Bente Grimm and Rieka Oldsen.

Panteia B.V., based in the Netherlands, is one of the largest organisations specialised in policy-applied research in Europe. Their core business includes policy research, market research, and consultancy for various clients, particularly in the transportation sector. As part of the SMARTA-NET project, Panteia is responsible for evaluations and recommendations on rural transport policies. Your contact persons are Geert Koops and Daniela Mattiuz.