On 30 November 2023, the German Mobility Award was presented for the eighth time. The prize is one of the most important awards in the digital and mobility sector and recognises innovative projects, products and applications for the mobility of the future. Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, personally presented the awards to the award winners at the KINDL – Centre for Contemporary Art in Berlin.
Over 200 companies, start-ups, networks, initiatives from the mobility and digital sector as well as local authorities and administrations in Germany responded to the call for applications. A jury of experts from business, science, society and politics selected the 12 most innovative projects from the four categories Digital Transformation & Data-Driven Mobility, New Mobility, Design and Good Practice for the shortlist. Intensive discussions took place in the subsequent jury meeting to select the most convincing projects in the four categories. The jury’s decision was kept secret until the award ceremony.
During the award ceremony, the tension reached its peak when the Federal Minister, Dr Volker Wissing, announced the award winners.
The Karlsruhe-based project “MobileCityGame” from the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI won in the Digital Transformation & Data-Driven Mobility category. The “MobileCity” app makes the core functions of complex traffic models accessible – intuitively and playfully.
The Nuremberg project “uRyde” won in the New Mobility category with its sustainable approach to modern mobility. “uRyde” combines ridesharing, public transport connections, shuttle buses, a charging and car park management system and a mobility budget in a single app.
In the Design category, the Colmberg project “SIMO – Mobility Simulator for Wheelchair Users” was recognised as an innovative, barrier-free design in the field of mobility. With “SIMO”, users can experience their future wheelchair in advance and try it out in a virtual environment.
The Hanover-based project “sprinti – the on-demand service for suburban areas” was honoured in the Good Practice category for its pioneering solution. As a flexible and barrier-free alternative to public transport, “sprinti” enables flexible and needs-based mobility in rural areas.
The presentation of the Audience Award, which was decided by live voting in the evening, was also eagerly awaited. Over 2,000 people chose their favourite projects for the Audience Award from all the shortlisted projects on site and via livestream. The “DB Rad+” project received the most votes. The “DB Rad+” app turns cycling into a shared experience by making kilometres travelled usable as currency for local companies and Deutsche Bahn, offering rewards for milestones and providing municipalities with important insights for transport planning through cycling data donations.
This was a special day for the founders, developers and their teams. They were visibly delighted to receive the award and have their innovative projects recognised.
Mobility and digitalisation were also the focus of the network meeting before the award ceremony. Longlist and shortlist participants as well as jury members and representatives of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport exchanged ideas and jointly developed ideas for sustainable mobility.
The highlights of the award ceremony are shown in the award ceremony film.
