On 4 and 5 May 2026, Innovation Park Zurich hosted the Automated Mobility Summit (AMS), bringing together some of Europe’s most active voices in autonomous transport. Operators, policymakers, investors, technology providers, and researchers gathered for two days of substance and shared purpose. ULTIMO members were there throughout, contributing to discussions and connecting with the wider ecosystem.
Day 1: Where Does Europe Stand?
The opening keynote from Dr Matthias Schubert, Chairman of PAVE Europe and representative of TÜV Rheinland, set the tone plainly: the transition to fully L4 driverless deployments across Europe is no longer a question of if, but of when and how. The mandate to move beyond isolated pilot projects was a thread that ran through virtually every session that followed.
A global perspectives panel brought together representatives from Waymo, Baidu, Bolt, Einride, and Deloitte to examine the distance between markets operating at scale and those still laying the groundwork. The contrasts were stark. Baidu now has over 1,000 vehicles in operation and is powering the first large scale commercialised transport fleet in Europe. Waymo has logged 280 million kilometres of autonomous driving and, in Phoenix, can be booked for the price of a bus ticket during peak demand. European pilots, by comparison, typically involve two to five vehicles. Experts were direct: the continent must be bold to avoid repeating the experience of solar energy and electric vehicles, where early leadership gave way to others.
A fireside chat with Rainer Becker of MOIA brought the focus closer to ground level, exploring what it takes to move from a controlled pilot to a service people actually depend on. MOIA’s turnkey approach, providing the software and fleet management algorithms that match demand with vehicles, illustrated how the operational layer is every bit as important as the technology itself.
The afternoon session on safety and public trust proved one of the most energetically debated. Speakers from GESTE, Bolt, and Ruter As, moderated by Clare Mutzenich of Loughborough University, made the case that the sector must move beyond statistical safety arguments toward what they called “perceived safety.” Trust must first be established with authorities before it can be earned from the public. Practically, this means proactive remote assistance, real time interfaces explaining vehicle behaviour to passengers, and deliberate inclusive design for elderly and non digital populations. For a project like ULTIMO, where deployment and user experience go hand in hand, these conversations land close to home.
The day closed with a keynote from Professor William Riggs of the University of San Francisco on investment models, followed by a panel on European business models. The clearest consensus was that achieving sustainability means integrating autonomous services into the long term contractual arrangements and core budgets of public transport operators, not layering them on top as separate projects. The Business to Government model was identified as the primary path forward in Europe, with innovation capital, operational capital, and infrastructure investment each playing a distinct role.
Day 2: Switzerland in Motion
The second day opened with AV showcases on site, including a European first: multiple automated vehicles operating without safety drivers, available for participants to ride. The experience of stepping into an autonomous vehicle that is simply doing its job, without anyone in the driver’s seat, shifts the conversation in ways that slides and panels cannot.
A rapid fire flashlight session gave eight Swiss deployment teams two minutes each to outline their current status. The cumulative picture was compelling. PostAuto is deploying an on-demand ride pooling service across an 80 square kilometre area in Eastern Switzerland using 25 Baidu Apollo RT6 vehicles, with a target to remove safety drivers by 2027. Zurich Airport is testing two autonomous shuttles on a 6.5 km route with eight stops, aiming to transition to fully remote cockpit operation. LOXO is already running a 65 km middle mile route with Planzer in Bern and a last mile delivery service with REWE in Bochum. TGA in Arbon has transported over 3,000 passengers on its Level 4 city bus system. And the ARiVE3 project in Basel is building a blueprint for cross border operations to serve 60,000 daily commuters crossing between Switzerland, France, and Germany, where automated vehicles currently stop at national borders due to fragmented legal regimes.
The afternoon strategic panel worked through what it will take to scale. Summit participants voted in a live poll that strict regulations and standards remain the single biggest constraint. The industry needs to achieve type approval and homologation by 2028. Automation is increasingly seen not as an innovation luxury but as a structural necessity, with around 30% of commercial drivers expected to retire within the next two years.
Looking Ahead
The SAAM summit made one thing clear: the sector has done enough demonstrating. The task now is to deliver services that are permanent, integrated, and financially grounded. For ULTIMO, the conversations in Zurich reinforced why the work matters and what it will take to see it through.
