The New Mobility Initiative Paderborn has reached a major milestone: The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection is funding the NeMo.bil project with a volume of around 30 million euros. The project aims to create an innovative, black-based mobility system that will serve as a beacon for the whole of Germany, enabling a new form of sustainable and demand-oriented passenger and goods transport in rural areas. FIWARE Foundation became one of the 20 consortium partners to implement the project until June 2026.

In contrast to conventional solutions, Neue Mobilität Paderborn takes a systemic approach. Automated smaller vehicles (Cab), which serve the first and last miles, combine on longer routes to form a convoy pulled by a larger automated vehicle (Pro). The Cabs will weigh only about 450 kilograms plus battery and have room for up to four people. The Pros serve as a mobile charging station and enable higher ranges and speeds in the convoy. By combining the two vehicles, the overall system achieves a previously unattainable energy efficiency.

The aim of the New Mobility Paderborn concept is to implement innovative approaches that produce significant improvements in the areas of user acceptance, costs, resource use and emissions. Central components of the system are compact, scalable, electrified and very light vehicles that provide networked on-demand mobility services in a swarm. The development is being carried out in a consortium consisting of 20 funded partners, mainly from small and medium-sized enterprises in Hochstift Paderborn.

The association Neue Mobilität Paderborn e.V. plays a central role. It takes over the exchange with the operators and users, ensures the broad impact of the project and ensures the introduction of the system on the road. “We are very pleased about the extensive support from the federal government, which is sending a clear signal for sustainable transport systems in rural areas with its funding. Hochstift Paderborn is ideally suited for piloting because more renewable energy is currently generated here than is consumed.” emphasise project initiator Prof. Dr. Thomas Tröster from the Institute for Lightweight Construction with Hybrid Systems (ILH) at the University of Paderborn and Jonathan Behm, Managing Director of Neue Mobilität Paderborn e.V.

The following 20 partners form the consortium to implement the NeMo.bil project: Aspens GmbH, AVANCO Composites GmbH, Brummelte und Lienen Werkzeugbau GmbH, CADFEM Germany GmbH, CP Tech GmbH, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), dSPACE GmbH, FIWARE Foundation e.V., HOLON GmbH, INYO Mobility GmbH, LIA GmbH, Neue Mobilität Paderborn e.V., PHOENIX CONTACT E-Mobility GmbH, Poppe + Potthoff GmbH, Reisewitz GmbH & Co. KG, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences, University of Paderborn, Science Centre Berlin and Dortmund University of Technology.