MAI researchers bring business model perspective to future mobility at ITS European Congress

Professor Petri Ahokangas and Dr Rashid Dehkordi from Oulu Business School’s Martti Ahtisaari Institute took part in the 17th ITS European Congress 2026, held in Istanbul from 27 to 29 April. The congress was organised under the theme “Bridging Innovation: Integrated, safe and seamless mobility” and brought together researchers, industry experts, policymakers, public authorities and mobility professionals to discuss the future of smart, connected, safe and sustainable transport.

Exploring business models for automated and electric fleets

As part of the congress, Professor Ahokangas and Dr Dehkordi organised a session titled “Business model innovation for accelerating fleet automation and electrification in the Nordics”. The session brought together academic, industry and ITS organisation perspectives, with contributions from Søren Sørensen, CEO of SFMCON and Chairman of ITS Danmark; Hanne Kristin Nettum Breivik, CEO of ITS Norway; and Eetu Pilli-Sihvola, Lead, Future Mobility and Cities at VTT, Finland.

The session focused on how business model innovation can support the acceleration of fleet automation and electrification in the Nordic mobility ecosystem. The discussion highlighted that automated and electric fleets require more than technological readiness. Scalable and sustainable mobility solutions also depend on viable business models, ecosystem collaboration, data sharing, charging and energy infrastructure, regulatory alignment, and new forms of value creation between public and private actors.

Strengthening research visibility and collaboration

Professor Ahokangas and Dr Dehkordi also presented research papers on AI-enabled business model innovation for emerging mobility ecosystems. Their presentations addressed how artificial intelligence can support new value propositions, improve ecosystem coordination, enable data-driven decision-making and contribute to the development of sustainable and intelligent mobility services.

MAI’s participation in the ITS European Congress strengthened the institute’s visibility in the fields of digital business, mobility ecosystems, business model innovation and sustainable transport transformation. It also opened opportunities for further collaboration with Nordic and European partners working at the intersection of intelligent transport systems, automation, electrification and future mobility.