Agenda

Eau'rangerie

De Leie

De Lieve

Side meeting: International EV Policy and Research Network Workshop

De Krook Public Library, Meeting Room  De Verwondering, 2nd Floor, Platteberg 11, 9000 Gent

Technical tour in the City of Ghent: “It’s all about space!”

Organized in collaboration with City of Ghent, sponsored by Dott
Tour led by Filip Watteeuw, Alderman for Housing, Environment, Climate and Energy, City of Ghent
In front of the conference venue, De Oude Vismijn, Rekelingestraat 5, 9000 Gent

Boat tour with aperitivo on board (optional, extra fee)

De Bootjes van Gent (Jetty at The Green Boathouse), Korenlei 4a, 9000 Gent

Registration and Coffee/light refreshments

Opening remarks and welcome

Welcome to the CME 2026 Conference
Giovanni Circella, Professor of Mobility, Ghent University | Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, University of California, Davis
Pierpaolo Cazzola, Director, European Transport & Energy Research Centre, University of California, Davis

Welcome to Ghent
Filip Watteeuw, Alderman for Housing, Environment, Climate and Energy, City of Ghent

Opening Address
Pierfrancesco Maran, Chair of Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, European Parliament

Keynotes & Discussion 

Axel Volkery, Head of Unit Innovation and Urban Mobility, DG MOVE, European Commission
Christopher Grundler, Deputy Executive Officer, Mobile Sources & Incentives, California Air Resources Board

Moderator: Ivana Semanjski, Professor, Ghent University

Session 1 - Global light duty vehicle market dynamics 

Moderator: Gil Tal, Director, EV Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis

Speakers: 
Gil Tal, Director, EV Research Center, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
Edoardo Turano, Head of Unit for Road Mobility, DG CLIMA, European Commission

Panelists: 
Laurent Franckx, Analyst, Energy and Transport, Federal Planning Bureau, Belgium
Sebastian Hirsz, Policy Executive, FuelsEurope
Andreas Klugescheid, Chief Strategic Foresight and Engagement Officer, European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA)
Erika Mink-Zaghioul, SVP Government & Regulatory Affairs, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
Sandra Wappelhorst, Research Lead, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

Session 2.3 - Poster Session: Light-Duty Vehicle Electrification

Poster session 2.3 continues during Session 2.1 & 2.2 until 15:30.

Session 2.1 - Urban Logistics and Last-mile Distribution

Moderator: Giovanni Circella, Professor of Mobility, Ghent University | Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, University of California, Davis

Speaker: Wiebke Müller Pettersson, Urban Logistics Strategy Lead, EIT Urban Mobility

Panelists: 
Gregory Perez, Urban Logistics Project Manager, bpost
Henning Haeder, Principal Sustainable Operations - EU Public Policy, Amazon
Miguel Jaller, Professor & Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering | Co-Director, Sustainable Freight Research Program, University of California, Davis
John Kingston, General Manager, Business Transformation Office at Honda Motor Europe Ltd, Honda Fastport
Marcello Segato, Business Development Executive, Weelo

Session 2.2 - Light Duty Vehicle Charging

Moderator: Frances Sprei, Professor, Physical Resource Theory, Environmental and Energy Sciences, Chalmers University 

Speaker: Axel Volkery, Head of Unit Innovation and Urban Mobility, DG MOVE, European Commission

Panelists: 
Petr Dolejsi, Mobility & Sustainable Transport Director, European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) 
Erik Figenbaum, Senior Research Officer, Institute of Transport Economics (TOI)
Vaishnavi Karanam, Senior Researcher, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
Lucie Mattera, Secretary General, ChargeUp Europe
Ignacio Rivas, Programs Director, Centro Movilidad Sostenible

Coffee Break

Session 3 - Vehicle Automation Opportunities for Passenger Mobility

Moderator: Louison Duboz, Project Manager, PAVE Europe

Panelists: 
Mathilde Adjutor, Senior EU Public Policy Associate, Uber
Anna Anund,  Research Director, Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, Linköping, Sweden
Eric Calle, Directeur Mobilité Autonome chez, Keolis
Özgür İpek, Europe Operations Director, ADASTEC
Judith Schuermans, Head of Public, Shared & Autonomous Mobility, EIT Urban Mobility
Edward Straub, Special Advisor, SAE International

Registration and Coffee/light refreshments

Session 4 - E-trucks vehicle deep-dive

Moderator: Christoph Wolff, CEO, Smart Freight Centre

Speaker: Klaus Steininger, Senior Expert, Road Transport Unit, DG CLIMA, European Commission

Panelists: 
Thomas Fabian, Chief Commercial Vehicles Officer, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)
Miguel Jaller, Co-Director, Sustainable Freight Research Program, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
Marina Lussich, Principal, Sustainability, Amazon
Luke Parker, EU Public Affairs Manager, DHL

Coffee Break

Session 5.1 - Make Cities Work - Reducing Car Dependence

Moderator: Alessandro La Delfa, Postdoctoral Researcher, Ghent University

Speaker: Filip Watteeuw, Alderman for Housing, Environment, Climate and Energy, City of Ghent

Panelists: 
Carl Friedrich Eckhardt, Sustainable Mobility Expert, BMW Group
Quentin Letesson, Head of Operations, Cambio Brussels
Lore Peeters, Partner Success Principal, Via
Stef Proost, Professor Emeritus, Economics, KU Leuven
Bram Seeuws, Project and Policy Coordinator, Way To Go

Session 5.2 - Fuel supply

Moderator: Martina Wikstrom, CEO, Swedish Energy and Transport Research Office and Senior Fellow, European Transport & Energy Research Centre, University of California, Davis

Speaker: Jerome Nsengiyaremye, Associate Programme Officer, World Energy Transitions Outlook, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Panelists: 
Mariano Berkenwald, Head of Strategy, INERATEC
Sebastian Hirsz, Policy Executive, FuelsEurope
Chris Malins, Founder and Director, Cerulogy
Alessandro Martulli, Postdoctoral Researcher, Hasselt University

Session 5.3 - Poster Session: Heavy-Duty Vehicle Electrification and Alternative Fuels

Poster Session 5.3 continues during the lunch break until 14:00.

Lunch

Session 6.3 - Poster Session: Urban Mobility

Poster session 6.3 continues during Sessions 6.1 & 6.2 until 15:30.

Session 6.1 - Fuel demand

Moderator: Pierpaolo Cazzola, Director, European Transport & Energy Research Centre, University of California, Davis 

Speakers: 
Aleix Pons, Associate Director, Sustainable Transport Policy, Ricardo WSP
Colin Murphy, Co-Director, Low Carbon Fuel Policy Research Initiative, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis

Panelists: 
Susanne Bouma, Director of Aviation, Smart Freight Centre
Jean-Baptiste Jarin, Associate Professor, ESTIA Institute of Technology
Paul Minett, Managing Director, Trip Convergence Ltd

Session 6.2 - E-trucks infrastructure deep-dive

Moderator: Christoph Wolff, CEO, Smart Freight Centre

Speakers:
Patrick Plötz, Department Head, Department of Energy Technology and Energy Systems, Fraunhofer ISI

Panelists: 
Isabel Gomez Bernal, Senior Analyst of Prospective Energy, Iberdrola
Julia Hildermeier, Global Lead Flexible Demand, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Andreas Kammel, VP Alternative Drivetrains, Traton
Klaus Steininger, Senior Expert, Road Transport Unit, DG CLIMA, European Commission

Coffee Break

Closing Session - Industrial policy for clean mobility

Moderator: Daniel Sperling, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Science, UC Davis | Former Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

Speakers: 
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Thomas Becker, Former Senior Vice President External Affairs, Sustainability, BMW Group

Panelists: 
Nicolas Gorse, Chief Operating Officer, Dott
Gereon Meyer, Head of Department, European and International Business Development, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH
Emily Warren, Deputy Secretary for Innovative Mobility Solutions, California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)

10:00

Welcome Remarks

Giovanni Circella, Professor of Mobility, Ghent University | Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, University of California, Davis

10:10

Opening Keynotes

1. California Leadership and Priorities in Automated Mobility

   • Emily Warren, Deputy Secretary for Innovative Mobility Solutions at the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)

2. The European Vision for Accelerating Automated Mobility Deployment

   • Giacomo Lozzi, Policy Officer, DG MOVE, European Commission

3. The U.S. Approach to Automated Mobility: Commercial Developments, Global Trends, and Societal Goals

   • Jane Lappin, Partner, Blue Door Strategy and Research, LLC

11:10

Opening Leadership Dialogue: The Future of Automated Mobility in Europe and the United States

Moderator

Daniel Sperling, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Science, UC Davis | Former Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

Participants

• Emily Warren, Deputy Secretary for Innovative Mobility Solutions at the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)
• Giacomo Lozzi, Policy Officer, DG MOVE, European Commission
• Jane Lappin, Partner, Blue Door Strategy and Research, LLC

12:00

Networking Lunch

13:00

Panel 1: Shaping Automated Mobility Deployment: Markets, Governance, and Public Value

Moderator

• Daniel Sperling, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Science, UC Davis | Former Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

Presentations (5 min)

• Edward Straub, Special Advisor, SAE International 
• Louison Duboz, Project Manager, PAVE Europe 

Panelists

• Pierre Chehwan, VP of Growth and External Affairs, beti 
• Stephane Dreher, Head of Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM), ERTICO – ITS Europe 
• Mollie Cohen D’Agostino, Executive Director, MoSAIC, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
• Gereon Meyer, Head of Department, European and International Business Development, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH

Panel 2: From Pilots to Everyday Service: Integrating Automated Mobility with Public Transport

Moderator

• Basar Ozbilen, Assistant Director of 3RFM Program, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis

Presentations (5 min)

• Petra Mollet, Vice President Strategic and International Programs, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
• John McSweeney, CCAM Expert & Manager, UITP

Panelists

• Özgür İpek, Europe Operations Director, ADASTEC
• Lore Peeters, Partner Success Principal, Via
• Carl Friedrich Eckhardt, Sustainability Mobility Expert, BMW Group
• Tobias Brzoskowski, Managing Director, New Mobility Solutions Hamburg

15:30

Coffee Break

15:45

Panel 3: Making Automated Mobility Work at Scale: Infrastructure, Operations, and Institutional Coordination

Moderator

• Jane Lappin, Partner, Blue Door Strategy and Research, LLC

Presenters

• Pierre Millette, Chief Technology Officer, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)
• Zeljko Jeftic, Senior Director, Global Market Development, Einride

Panelists

• Miguel Jaller, Co-Director, Sustainable Freight Research Program, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis
• Jonathan Van Cauwenberge, Port of the Future Advisor, Port of Antwerp-Bruges
• Arwed Schmidt, Managing Director, EasyMile GmbH
• William Riggs, Professor and Director of the Autonomous Vehicles & the City Initiative, University of San Francisco 

17:00

Closing Remarks: Future Transatlantic Collaboration on Automated Mobility

Speakers

• Giovanni Circella, Professor of Mobility, Ghent University | Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, University of California, Davis
• Daniel Sperling, Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Science, UC Davis | Former Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis

17:20

Closing Reception/Networking