EMPRESA MUNICIPAL DE TRANSPORTES DE MADRID SA

Their core work

EMT Madrid is the municipal public transport operator for the city of Madrid, running one of Europe's largest urban bus networks. In H2020, they serve as a real-world testing ground and deployment partner for sustainable mobility innovations — from hydrogen bus refuelling infrastructure and Mobility-as-a-Service platforms to automated vehicles and last-mile logistics using digital twins. Their value lies in providing large-scale urban operations where new transport technologies can be validated under actual service conditions in a major European capital.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014–2017), EMT focused on foundational sustainable mobility planning — Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, non-motorized transport, gender-inclusive design, and early MaaS concepts through CIVITAS ECCENTRIC and IMOVE. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward technology-driven solutions: automated and connected vehicles (SHOW), digital twins for logistics (LEAD), electric mobility (SOLUTIONSplus), and data-driven multimodal platforms (SCALE-UP). The trajectory is clear — from planning and policy-oriented projects to deploying and demonstrating advanced transport technologies at scale.

EMT is moving from being a passive adopter of mobility plans to an active demonstrator of automated, electric, and digitally integrated urban transport systems — making them an increasingly valuable deployment partner for smart city consortia.

How they like to work

EMT primarily joins as a participant (7 of 9 projects), serving as a large-scale urban deployment site rather than a project designer. However, their two coordinator roles (MOMENTUM, LEAD) show growing ambition to lead, particularly in modelling and last-mile logistics. With 254 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub — the kind of partner that brings real operational data and city-level validation to any consortium.

EMT has collaborated with 254 unique partners across 32 countries, indicating a broad European network built through large demonstration-oriented consortia. Their connections span transport operators, technology developers, city authorities, and research institutions across virtually all EU member states.

What sets them apart

EMT brings something most technology developers and research labs cannot: a real, operating urban bus network in a European capital city with millions of daily passengers. This makes them an ideal demonstration and validation partner — they can test MaaS platforms, automated buses, hydrogen refuelling, and logistics solutions under genuine operational pressure. For consortium builders, EMT offers both the scale of a large public transport operator and the agility shown by their expanding role into coordination and new domains like last-mile logistics.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CIVITAS ECCENTRIC
  Largest single EC contribution (€660K) and EMT's deepest engagement in sustainable mobility — covering everything from gender-inclusive design to defuelization in suburban districts.
• LEAD
  EMT's coordinator role applying digital twins and Physical Internet concepts to last-mile logistics — a strategic expansion beyond their traditional passenger transport domain.
• SHOW
  Large-scale demonstration of shared automated vehicles across multiple cities, positioning EMT at the forefront of autonomous public transport deployment.