KEOLIS

Their core work

Keolis is one of France's largest public transport operators, managing bus, tram, metro, and on-demand mobility services across multiple countries. In H2020, they contribute real-world operational expertise and demonstration sites for testing future transport concepts — from automated shared vehicles to Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms. Their role is that of a large-scale transport operator validating research innovations under actual service conditions, bringing passenger volumes, route networks, and operational know-how that lab-based partners cannot provide.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Keolis's early H2020 involvement (2015–2018) centred on incremental improvements to conventional public transport — better bus systems (EBSF_2) and lightweight personal rapid transit (ESPRIT). From 2020 onward, their focus shifted sharply toward automation, shared mobility, and the societal implications of driverless transport, with SHOW representing their largest investment by far. This trajectory mirrors the broader industry shift from optimising existing fleets to preparing for connected, automated, and shared mobility ecosystems.

Keolis is positioning itself as an operator ready for the automated mobility transition, investing in both the technology deployment and the workforce adaptation that comes with it.

How they like to work

Keolis consistently participates as a partner rather than leading consortia — zero coordinator roles across all five projects. With 191 unique partners across 23 countries, they operate within large, diverse consortia typical of major transport demonstration projects. Their value to consortia is as a real-world deployment partner: they bring routes, passengers, and operational infrastructure where research prototypes can be tested at scale.

Keolis has collaborated with 191 distinct partners across 23 countries, giving them one of the broader networks among transport operators in H2020. Their reach spans most of Europe, reflecting the pan-European nature of large transport demonstration projects.

What sets them apart

What distinguishes Keolis from research-focused transport partners is their scale as an actual operator — they run real bus, tram, and metro networks serving millions of passengers. This means they can offer demonstration environments with genuine ridership, regulatory compliance experience, and operational constraints that purely academic partners cannot replicate. For consortium builders, Keolis brings the critical "last mile to deployment" credibility that evaluators and funders value highly.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SHOW
  By far their largest H2020 investment (€752K), focused on deploying shared automated vehicles in real urban environments across multiple European cities.
• WE-TRANSFORM
  Addresses the human side of transport automation — workforce restructuring, skills, and working conditions — a topic few operators engage with directly in EU projects.
• TANGENT
  Participated as third party, indicating Keolis contributed specific operational data or infrastructure without full consortium membership — a flexible engagement model.