Apply to the Strategic Innovation Open Call to develop impactful solutions that address the most pressing challenges in urban mobility.
The call focuses on supporting ambitious, market-critical projects that tackle clearly defined problems faced by cities, public authorities, and mobility providers. Through this call, EIT Urban Mobility fosters innovation and strengthens Europe’s competitiveness by encouraging collaboration across the EIT Knowledge Triangle – education, research, and business – alongside a fourth essential partner: cities.
The Call will focus on five sectors:
Urban logistics,
Public transport,
Mobility data management,
Electrification of transport and alternative fuels, and
Health and mobility.
EIT funding allocation
The total estimated funding allocated to this Call is € 60 million for the period 2026-2028 and has multiple cut-off dates The indicative funding for the first submission cut-off is: € 9 million.
Each project may receive up to € 2 million of EIT funding. EIT Urban Mobility will reimburse up to 65% of the eligible project costs, while the minimum co-funding rate for all proposals is 35%.
Who can apply?
This is a multi-beneficiary call for proposals and therefore there must be a minimum of two independent legal entities, working together. These entities must be established in two different European Member States, and/or Third countries associated with Horizon Europe.
How can you apply?
The Strategic Innovation Open Call is open from 2026-2028 with several cut-off dates as outlined below. The assessment of the proposals involves two stage: Stage 1 is the expert evaluation of proposals submitted via the EIT Urban Mobility NetSuite platform, followed by Stage 2, which includes a panel hearing and selection by the Selection Committee.
Info webinars
EIT Urban Mobility will host online information sessions from 1-3 July 2025. Register for the online information sessions via the Mobility Innovators platform.
Info webinar: Call content and Q&A | 10.00 – 11.30 CET, 1 July 2025
Info webinar: Commercialisation and financial sustainability | 14.00 – 15.00 CET, 2 July 2025
Info webinar: Intellectual property strategy | 9.30 – 10.30 CET, 3 July 2025
Info webinar: Guidance to applicants | 14.30 – 15.30 CET, 3 July 2025
At least 24 people were reported killed and over 300 injured – including 32 children – when ballistic missiles struck Ukraine’s Dnipro and Odesa regions on Monday and Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said on Wednesday.
The attacks destroyed homes, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and left hundreds wounded.
“The attacks struck during the day when civilians were at work, on trains, or at school,” said Danielle Bell, head of HRMMU.
“The timing alone made the high number of civilian casualties entirely foreseeable.”
On 23 June, two ballistic missiles launched by Russian forces hit Lyceum No. 1, a middle school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa region. Although the school year had ended, staff and students were present for administrative work. The strike killed three educators and injured 14 others, including two boys.
The school, which served over 700 students, sustained critical damage.
HRMMU, which visited the attacks sites, reported no evidence of military presence at the school, and people confirmed that no military presence had been stationed there.
“The school in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi was not a military objective,” Ms. Bell said.
“Yet it was hit by two ballistic missiles, killing educators and injuring children.”
The following day, 24 June, missiles struck an industrial area of Dnipro city at around 11 AM local time. The blast shattered windows in nearby schools, hospitals and residential buildings.
HRMMU confirmed that two dormitories were hit, injuring numerous residents. A nearby passenger train was also impacted – windows blown out by the shockwave – injuring more than 20 travellers, according to a UN monitor onboard.
A troubling trend
These strikes followed a series of other attacks in June that have resulted in significant civilian harm, including in Kyiv city on 17 and 23 June, according to the human rights mission.
Civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 were nearly 50 percent higher than during the same period last year, with increases typically seen during the summer months.
“Ballistic missiles, when used in densely populated areas, cause predictable and widespread harm to civilians, as demonstrated by these recent attacks,” Ms. Bell said.
“The rising civilian casualties reflect the severity of that risk.”
The SRB welcomes the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance (CMDI) reform. This important reform has the potential to enhance the current framework by providing more options for dealing with smaller and mid-sized banks in crisis. In addition, it improves several technical aspects […]
Despite the current government hostility to trade, the country remains a center for the production and distribution of medication.
During the country’s long civil war, the Assad regime was affected by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, and Captagon’s trade reportedly reported billions of dollars for the dictator and his allies.
The country’s attitude towards trade changed considerably after the fall of Assad in December 2024, and the rise of the power of a transitional government led by members of the Islamist group HTS and including members of many ethnic groups of Syria. The current administration is committed to disrupting the supply chain and demonstrated it by publicly destroying large quantities of captagon seized.
Thousands of people gathered in Damascus on Friday to celebrate the fall of the Assad regime.
However, the most recent edition of the Global drug reportreleased by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc) On June 26, warns that Syria remains a major hub for the medication, despite the repression.
Before the launch, Angela Me, head of social affairs at the Onudc, spoke to UN News on the continuous use of Captagon in the region,
Angela me: Captagon is a stimulant, similar to methamphetamine, which is taken like a pill, and for many years, it has been the main concern in the Gulf State and in certain parts of North Africa.
His name was the “Djihadi pill” after finding that the authors of certain terrorist attacks had used it. On the battlefield, this helps to maintain energy, which is one of the reasons why it is so widespread. But users quickly become dependent and causes physical and mental health problems.
UN News: The Transitional Government of Syria has indicated that they do not tolerate this job, but your report shows that Syria is still a big center for Captagon. Who produces and sells?
Angela me: There is a lot of uncertainty around that. We see many major expeditions ranging from Syria, for example, Jordan. There are probably still shipping substances shipped, but we examine where production can move. We also note that traffic is developing regionally and we have discovered laboratories in Libya.
UN News: Given the big sums of money generated by drugs, are there still groups in Syria who wish to continue trade in the parts of the country they control?
Angela me: Certainly, and not only in Syria, but also in the wider region. These groups manage Captagon for a long time and production will not stop in a few days or weeks.
We help countries solve the problem from the point of view of organized crime, to understand the criminal groups involved, so that they can design answers and solutions: our research shows that there is not a single answer to dismantle groups.
We also help the police to connect with their peers in the region, because it is not a national problem. It is clearly a transnational problem that goes beyond the Middle East; We have seen Captagon traffic across Europe, for example.
Another way to support is to solve health related problems, to share proof -based treatment that can really help people recover from their dependence on the drug.
Addressing the General Assembly, António Guterres said that the world is witnessing more armed conflicts than at any time since the end of the Second World War.
“Too often, early warnings go unheeded, and alleged evidence of crimes committed by States and non-State actors are met with denial, indifference, or repression,” he told Member States on Wednesday.
“Responses are often too little, too late, inconsistent, or undermined by double standards. Civilians are paying the highest price.”
Known as the Responsibility to Protect, or R2P, the pledge affirmed that sovereignty carries not just rights, but responsibilities – foremost among them, the duty of every State to safeguard its own people.
When national authorities manifestly fail to do so, the international community has a duty to act – collectively, timely and decisively – in accordance with the UN Charter.
Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the UN General Assembly meeting on the responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
An unfulfilled promise
“Two decades on, the Responsibility to Protect remains both an urgent necessity, a moral imperative and an unfulfilled promise,” he said.
He cited worsening identity-based violence, deepening impunity, and the weaponization of new technologies as compounding threats to populations around the world.
“No society is immune from the risk of atrocity crimes,” Mr. Guterres continued.
A ray of hope
The Secretary-General also presented his latest report on the Responsibility to Protect, reflecting on two decades of progress and persistent challenges. It draws on a global survey showing that the principle still enjoys broad support – not only among Member States, but also among communities affected by violence.
“Communities see it [R2P] as a ray of hope,” he said, “but they also call for effective implementation at all levels.”
Mr. Guterres emphasised that prevention must begin at home: with inclusive leadership, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. And it must be supported worldwide through multilateral cooperation and principled diplomacy.
“No society is immune from the risk of atrocity crimes,” he said.
“[Prevention] must be supported globally – through multilateral cooperation, principled diplomacy, and early and decisive action to effectively protect populations.”
UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras
In September 2005, heads of states and governments from around the world gathered at the UN Headquarters for the World Summit.
Flashback: 2005 World Summit and the birth of R2P
The Responsibility to Protect was adopted by consensus at the 2005 World Summit – at the time, the largest-ever gathering of heads of state and government. The Summit also established the Peacebuilding Commission to support post-conflict recovery and the Human Rights Council to uphold human rights.
The R2P principle is built on three pillars: the State’s responsibility to protect its population; the international community’s role in assisting States in this effort; and the duty to take collective action when States manifestly fail to protect their people.
Since its adoption, R2P has helped shape international responses to atrocity crimes, guided UN operations, and informed preventive efforts through national, regional, and multilateral mechanisms.
Keep the promise
Yet the gap between principle and practice remains a central concern – one the Secretary-General is urging the international community to close.
“Let us keep the promise,” Mr. Guterres said. “Let us move forward with resolve, unity, and the courage to act.”
“The Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel in and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively stifling rescue services for private and hungry people”, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said During its regular press point in New York.
The conditions in the enclave remain dark, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, with relationships on murder and injuries of dozens of people, many of whom were simply looking for help.
Due to the situation of fuel, the United Nations Population Fund (Unfpa) warned that 80% of intensive care units, including those used for childbirth, are likely to stop – at a time when 130 women give birth every day.
“” As the UNFPA pointed out, fuel for Gaza is a question of life and death,“Said Mr. Dujarric.
He added that community kitchens could prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week.
However, this represents a reduction of 80% compared to more than a million meals distributed daily at the end of April, calling it “Basically, a net offered to people on the verge of famine. »»
In the absence of fuel, cooking gases and electricity, people have used plastic waste.
“When they do it in makeshift tents, you can imagine what is going on with poor ventilation and the enormous risks that pose,” he told journalists.
A young boy in Gaza with serious weight loss and malnutrition eats a nutritional supplement.
Allow more help
In addition, the UN coordination office, OchhaAlso recalls that to significantly approach massive deprivation in Gaza, the Israeli authorities must allow higher volumes of supplies and more varied foods, as well as cooking, fuel and shelters.
Mr. Dujarric stressed that to facilitate the ordered distribution of aid, supplies must be channeled daily by several level passages and land routes simultaneously. This would guarantee people that the essential support flow is stable, sufficient and reliable.
He said that the UN and the partners had tried to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday, but that only three were entirely facilitated by the Israeli authorities, while seven were denied.
Four missions were initially approved, but were then interrupted on the ground, although one was finally accomplished on Wednesday and another was canceled by the organizers.
In response, the Fourth International Conference on Development Financing (FFD4) will take place in Seville, Spain, from June 30, bringing together the stakeholders to advance solutions to the challenges of funding threatening sustainable development.
“We have seen debt expenses and a decrease in down investments, and we have seen aid and an increase in trade barriers. The current system certainly does not provide the people it has been designed to support, “said the deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed During a briefing on the conference on Wednesday.
She was joined by Ambassador Héctor Gómez Hernández from Spain and Ambassador Chola Milambo de Zambia.
More than 70 heads of state and government will attend the conference, as well as leaders of international financial institutions, civil society, philanthropies and the private sector, including energy, food systems and digital industries.
“The collective presence alone, I believe, sends a good signal for multilateralism at a time when we are faced with a lot of perspective,” said Ms. Mohammed.
Seville engagement
June 17, Member States agreed THE Seville compromisoor commitment from Seville, to adopt at the conference.
Ms. Mohammed stressed that the commitment addresses the debt crisis in developing countries which are particularly vulnerable to the financing of deficits, because many spend more for the interests of debt than for essential services, which subjects the opportunity for sustainable development.
Ambassador Milambo explained that this will be done by greater transparency, a global debt register and amplifying the votes of the debtor countries.
It also aims to catalyze investments by tripling loans from the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), by doubling official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, by taking advantage of private sector investment and ensuring that the international financing system is more inclusive and effective.
“It is a program on which world leaders can do something. They have the tools – and political weight – to get there, “said Ms. Mohammed.
Multilateralism test
Ambassador Hernández stressed that the conference arrives at a critical moment for multilateralism.
“This conference is a call for action, and we have the extraordinary opportunity to send a very strong message to defend the commitment of the international community towards the multilateral system,” he said.
Ambassador Milambo later added that the consensus on Seville’s commitment “sends a real message of hope to the world that we can take up the challenges of funding which hinders the SDGs and that multilateralism can still work.”
Despite the consensus, the United States recently announced that it would not send a delegation to the conference.
The speakers have urged observers to keep in mind the broader image: “It is regrettable, but that does not prevent us from continuing to engage with this Member State” and to request a change in the action plan, said Ms. Mohammed.
She concluded by noting that, especially given the recent agreement of the commitment, the discussions that the UN has with other donors on how they try to use resources more effectively, hopefully.
“From this day, our house has become a travel bag and our path became that of travel … My childhood was filled with fear and anxiety and people with which I was private,” she said, speaking by videoconference of Syria.
Sila (on screen), representative of civil society, Briefes the meeting of the Security Council on children and armed conflicts.
The report documented a 25% increase in serious violations against children in 2024, the greatest number ever recorded during its 20 years of history.
“” The report of this year of the secretary general confirms once again what too many children already know – that the world did not protect them from war horrors“Said Sheema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection at the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
Seema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection and Migration to UNICEF, Briefes The Security Council.
“Each violation against children in each country around the world represents a moral failure.”
The report presented to the Security Council is published each year to document the serious violations against the children affected by the war. It is fully based on the data compiled and verified by the UN, which means that real numbers are probably much higher than those reported.
In 2024, the report documented A record of 41,370 violations of serious – including death and mutilation, rape, removal and targeting infrastructure such as schools supporting children.
“Each child struck by these attacks has a story, a stolen life, a interrupted dream, a future obscured by insane violence and prolonged conflicts”, ” said Virginia Gamba, the special representative of the Secretary General for children and armed conflicts, whose office has produced the report.
Virginia Gamba, the special representative of the Secretary General for children and armed conflicts, informs the Security Council.
While many of these violations have occurred during the conflict – especially since the urban war is increasing – serious violations can persist even after the end of a conflict.
They persist in unplodced ordinances which still dot the soil.
“Each unploded shell remains in a field, a school courtyard or an alley is A death sentence waiting to be triggered“Said Ms. Sen Gupta.
They persist in the spaces that remain destroyed, preventing children from accessing health care and education.
And they persist in the trauma and injuries that never completely leave a child.
Scars that never heal
Children who survive serious violations do not escape unscathed – if they suffered from violence, wounds will remain with them a lifetime. And even if they were not injured, the trauma remains.
“The physical and psychological scars carried by the survivors last a lifetimeAffecting families, communities and the very fabric of societies, “said Ms. Gamba.
This is why UNICEF and its partners worked to provide reinstatement programs and psychosocial support to children victims of serious violations.
Sila said that the trauma of her childhood is still with her and pushed her to become children’s defender in conflicts.
“From this moment, nothing felt normal in my life. I developed a phobia of all sound that looks like an airplane, darkness and even silence, “she said.
‘It cannot be the new normal’
Ms. Gamba called for “an unshakable conviction and an urgent action” of the international community in order to overthrow the disturbing trends that the report details.
“” We cannot afford to return to the dark ages where children were invisible and victims of armed conflict speech… Please do not allow them to retreat in the shadow of despair, ”she said.
Current humanitarian aid financing reductions lead to the work of United Nations agencies and partners to document and respond to serious violations against children.
In light of this, the call of Ms. Sen Gupta to the Security Council was simple: “Fund this program”.
She said that the international community cannot allow this to become “a new standard” and reminded members of the Security Council that children are not and should never be “collateral damage”.
Despite the devastation that the report detailed, there were “glimmer of hope” according to Ms. Sen Gupta. For example, the Syrian national army has signed an action plan that will prevent the recruitment, death and mutilation of children.
Sila also spoke of hope – she hopes hers is the latest generation to undergo these serious violations.
“I come from a generation that has survived. Physically, “she said. “Our body has survived, but our hearts always live in fear. Please help us replace the word movement by return, the word rubble by the house, the word war by life. ”
“From that day on, our home became a travel bag and our path became that of displacement … My childhood was filled with fear and anxiety and people I was deprived of,” she said, speaking via videoconference from Syria.
Sila (on screen), Civil Society Representative, briefs the Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict.
The report documented a 25 per cent increase in grave violations against children in 2024, the largest number ever recorded in its 20-year history.
“This year’s report from the Secretary-General once again confirms what too many children already know — that the world is failing to protect them from the horrors of war,” said Sheema Sen Gupta, director of child protection at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Seema Sen Gupta, director of child protection and migration at UNICEF, briefs the Security Council.
“Each violation against children in every country around the globe represents a moral failure.”
The report presented to the Security Council is published annually to document grave violations against children affected by war. It relies entirely on data compiled and verified by the UN, meaning that the real numbers are likely much higher than reported.
In 2024, the report documented a record 41,370 grave violations — including killing and maiming, rape, abduction and the targeting of infrastructure such as schools which supports children.
“Each child struck by these attacks carries a story, a stolen life, a dream interrupted, a future obscured by senseless violence and protracted conflict,” said Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, whose office produced the report.
Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, briefs the Security Council.
While many of these violations occurred during times of conflict — especially as urban warfare is on the rise — grave violations can persist even after a conflict ends.
They persist in the unexploded ordinances which still pepper the ground.
“Every unexploded shell left in a field, schoolyard, or alley is a death sentence waiting to be triggered,” said Ms. Sen Gupta.
They persist in the spaces which remain destroyed, impeding children from accessing healthcare and education.
And they persist in the trauma and injuries which never fully leave a child.
Scars that never heal
Children who survive the grave violations do not escape unscathed — if they suffered violence, the injuries will stay with them for a lifetime. And even if they were not injured, the trauma remains.
“The physical and psychological scars borne by survivors last a lifetime, affecting families, communities and the very fabric of societies,” said Ms. Gamba.
This is why UNICEF and its partners have worked to provide reintegration programmes and psychosocial support for children who are victims of grave violations.
Sila said that the trauma of her childhood is still with her, and has pushed her to become an advocate for children in conflicts.
“From that moment on, nothing has felt normal in my life. I’ve developed a phobia of any sound that resembles a plane, of the dark, and even of silence,” she said.
‘This cannot be the new normal’
Ms. Gamba called for “unwavering condemnation and urgent action” from the international community in order to reverse the worrying trends which the report details.
“We cannot afford to return to the dark ages where children were invisible and voiceless victims of armed conflict… Please do not allow them to slip back into the shadows of despair,” she said.
Current funding cuts to humanitarian aid are impeding the work of UN agencies and partners to document and respond to grave violations against children.
In light of this, Ms. Sen Gupta’s call for the Security Council was simple: “Fund this agenda.”
She said that the international community cannot allow this to become “a new normal,” and reminded the members of the Security Council that children are not and should never be “collateral damage.”
Despite the devastation which the report detailed, there were “glimmers of hope” according to Ms. Sen Gupta. For example, the Syrian National Army signed an action plan which will prevent the recruitment, killing and maiming of children.
Sila also spoke of hope — she hopes that hers is the last generation to suffer these grave violations.
“I am from a generation that survived. Physically,” she said. “Our bodies survived but our hearts are still living in fear. Please help us replace the word displacement with return, the word rubble with home, the word war with life.”
“Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving people,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular press briefing in New York.
Conditions in the enclave remain bleak, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, with reports of the killing and injury of scores of people, many of whom were just seeking aid.
Due to the fuel situation, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that 80 per cent of critical care units, including those used for childbirth, risk shutting down – at a time when 130 women are giving birth every day.
“As UNFPA stressed, fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death,” said Mr. Dujarric.
He added that community kitchens were able to prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week.
However, this represents an 80 per cent reduction compared with the more than one million meals distributed daily at the end of April, calling it “basically a trickle offered to people on the brink of famine.”
In the absence of fuel, cooking gas and electricity, people have resorted to burning plastic waste.
“When they do so in makeshift tents, you can imagine what happens with the poor ventilation and the tremendous risks that that poses,” he told journalists.
A young boy in Gaza with severe weight loss and malnutrition eats a nutritional supplement.
Allow in more aid
Furthermore, the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, also reminds that to meaningfully address the massive deprivation in Gaza, the Israeli authorities must allow in higher volumes of supplies and more varied types of food, as well as cooking gas, fuel and shelter items.
Mr. Dujarric stressed that to facilitate the orderly distribution of aid, supplies must be channelled daily through multiple crossings and land routes simultaneously. This would ensure people that the flow of essential support is steady, sufficient and reliable.
He said the UN and partners attempted to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday but only three were fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities, while seven were denied outright.
Four missions were initially approved but then halted on the ground, although one was ultimately accomplished on Wednesday and another was cancelled by the organizers.
