On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Kick-off Meeting of the SUMO 2.0 – Sustainable Mobility Upgrade 2.0 project took place online. The project is funded by the Interreg IPA South Adriatic 2021–2027 Programme and coordinated by the Port of Bar (Montenegro). The meeting gathered, for the first time, partners from Italy, Albania and Montenegro: the Port of Bar, the Public Transport Company of Brindisi, the Municipality of Durrës and the Municipality of Termoli. This event marked the formal start of a shared path aimed at improving mobility between ports, cities and territories through innovative, sustainable and jointly developed solutions.
The project stems from the awareness that the South Adriatic region is facing increasing challenges related to passenger and freight traffic, the seasonal rise in tourist flows, and the difficulty of moving efficiently between ports, urban areas and inland territories. Congestion, pollution and limited intermodal connections complicate daily travel, affecting residents, workers and visitors alike.
To address these issues, SUMO 2.0 will introduce innovative and sustainable solutions, ranging from the adoption of electric mobility in port areas to the improvement of public transport services, the development of infrastructure dedicated to cycling and the coordinated planning of connections between ports and cities. The goal is to enable faster, cleaner and more accessible travel, while providing the region with models that can be replicated across the Adriatic area.
Over its 30-month duration, the project will launch pilot initiatives in each of the cities involved. These include the introduction of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the Port of Bar; the installation in Brindisi of new smart tools and equipment to enhance the passenger experience on public transport; the construction of a new cycling path in Durrës to support active mobility; and the creation in Termoli of a new bicycle station integrated with the main transport nodes. These actions will contribute to the development of a shared strategy and a cross-border roadmap that will gather knowledge, data and practical solutions to strengthen sustainable mobility throughout the South Adriatic.
During the Kick-off Meeting, the project’s objectives, the initial analyses on the state of regional mobility and the activities planned for the coming months were presented. The meeting also provided an opportunity for discussion among partners and officially launched the communication and public engagement process that will accompany SUMO 2.0 throughout the project.
The project is led by Port of Bar in cooperation with Public Transport Company Brindisi S.p.A., Municipality of Durres and Municipality of Termoli.