Summer school: Emerging concepts and practices in transport 2026

Transport – A complex and multifaceted field

Transport is a broad and multifaceted field, both in its own scope and in the attention, it receives within global discussions on sustainability, climate neutrality, resilience and innovation. Doctoral studies, however, are usually centered on specialized research areas, which can result in a lack of breadth and a limited ability to address the multifaceted nature of transport. Traditional and emerging concepts—such as electromobility, artificial intelligence, and automation—enrich one another in both research ideas and methodological approaches. Further, the challenges and solutions in the realm of new mobility are perceived and addressed differently in science and in practice.

Aim of the summer school

With this in mind, the aim of the summer school is to provide a broad spectrum of different areas within transport, with a particular focus on emerging concepts across different sectors—such as rail, logistics, public transport, automation, and active mobility—as well as on the development and application of methodologies and tools. Another key objective is to create a bridge between PhD studies and the ways in which industry and policymakers tackle real-world transport challenges—highlighting the tools they use and exploring how academia can strengthen its collaboration with them.

Programme design and learning approach

The summer school program is designed to pair an academic perspective with an industry perspective on the same subject area. Experts from industry and public policy will be invited to present current transport challenges and engage students in discussions aimed at identifying practical solutions. In addition, the summer school will include networking opportunities and a study visit centered on public transport and transport infrastructure planning.

Scope: Public, private and commercial transport

The summer school covers public, private and commercial transports. The public transport parts cover many of the current modes as well as emerging ones. The private transport parts includes cars as well as active modes like bicycles. The commercial transports parts have a focus on the challenges and emerging concepts within transport logistics and how these logistics flows impact cities with strong logistics environments.

Organisation and partners

The summer school is organized within the TRENoP framework, a national strategic research initiative involving KTH, LiU, and VTI.

TRENoP has the vision to contribute to the transformation of today's transportation system into a greener, smarter and safer system through the integration of policy and technology with a system perspective.

Read more via the link to TRENoP