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Research
Discover our latest research projects
Innovation
See how advanced simulation enhances nuclear safety
Community
Learn how the UNESCO Chair in Numerical Methods spearheads frontier innovation in the Global South
About
People at CIMNE: Meet the talent that makes it possible.
Community
With nine research clusters, three innovation units, and a global network with deep local roots, the CIMNE community is driving constant progress. Stay updated on scientific breakthroughs, international projects, and corporate developments shaping the future of engineering.
A new study from CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT) researchers concludes that for every euro managed by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), €3.4 is returned to society through economic activity, job creation, and social and environmental...
Digitalisation is reshaping the maritime sector, and ports are increasingly adopting advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, and data-driven tools to improve efficiency, safety, and sustainability. In this context, digital twins are emerging as a...
The CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT) and the Centre for Transport Studies for the Western Mediterranean (CETMO), together with the International Union of Railways (UIC), have begun work on a major regional initiative in collaboration with the Union for the...
Maritime transport is a lifeline for Pacific Island countries, connecting communities, supporting trade, and enabling access to essential services. However, the sector is a significant and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Strengthening how these emissions...
Researchers at CIMNE’s transport innovation unit CENIT, working in collaboration with Shipping Business Consultants and Nextport, have identified an “unusual increase in activity at non-EU ports located close to Europe” in the first quarterly report of the EU-ETS...
March 2-5, 2026 | Fira Gran Via, Barcelona CIMNE's Stand: Hall 8.1, 8.1C12.1 The International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) features innovative simulation and smart solutions in this year's edition of the Mobile World Congress, the world...
Taxis play a strategic role within the public transport ecosystem of Barcelona, complementing mass transit and serving key urban nodes such as the airport, the port, and major intermodal hubs. However, managing a large and complex taxi system requires a clear,...
On Tuesday, 27 January 2026, in Gelida, Catalonia, a commuter train collided with a retaining wall that is believed to have come loose due to heavy rain. The accident resulted in one fatality, a trainee driver, and 37 people were injured. As a result of the incident,...
Dr. Sergi Saurí, director of CENIT —the transport innovation unit at CIMNE— stressed today that “meeting the planned investment schedule” and ensuring a strong “maintenance commitment”, both tied to sound governance, are key to improving Rodalies de Catalunya, the...
On 10 December, Barcelona hosted the official presentation of a study on port governance that promises to become a reference for maritime policy in the Mediterranean region. Dr. Sergi Saurí, director of CENIT, the Innovation Unit in Transport at CIMNE, presented the...
As of today, Sant Cugat will host modular goods transfer zones in Plaça Joan Borràs and on Rambla del Torrent d'en Xandri. They have also been installed in other Catalan cities including Granollers, Sabadell and Mataró. These “nanotransfer hubs”, a pioneer in Europe,...
Genís Majoral, researcher in our Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT), successfully defended his doctoral thesis on December 1 at UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia-BarcelonaTech). “Designing Robust Transport Policy Mechanisms for Multiple Economic and...
CENIT, CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport, has just released Issue 4 of CENIT magazine: Innovation in Transport Review. The innovation team presents insights and findings from some of their latest research, focusing on topics such as electrification in public...
November 4-6, 2025 | Fira Gran Via, Barcelona CIMNE's Stand: Hall 3, D50 Tomorrow Mobility: Hall 3, S53 The International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) features innovative simulation and smart solutions in this year's edition of the Smart City...
Researchers at CENIT, the Innovation Unit in Transport of CIMNE, along with project partner HINICIO, have contributed to a World Bank report that identifies Colombia’s potential to become a major supplier of green hydrogen–based fuels for shipping and other...
Barcelona’s shared bike network Bicing has helped encourage active mobility among citizens A new publication from CENIT — Innovation Unit in Transport at CIMNE and the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) in Singapore shows how a cross-domain approach to...
On this International Women in Engineering Day, we spotlight the work of Chiara Saragani, a researcher at CIMNE Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT, and PhD fellow at the Port of Barcelona. Her work is contributing to the advancement of port management and...
Researchers at CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT, have begun working on a significant new project that aims to provide insights into one of the most pressing developments in European shipping: the extension of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)...
Jakarta took a step closer in its journey toward a more sustainable, breathable future in April, as Sergi Sauri and Tomas Henriquez from CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT) led a validation workshop focused on shaping the city's future Integrated Low...
CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT, joined European partners in Paris in June for the closing meeting of RAIL4CITIES, an international project under the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, hosted at the headquarters of the UIC – International Union of...
Article adapted from original article by Alex Mumbrú Camprubí and Genís Majoral Oller Road transport in Fiji is highly dependent on petroleum fuels and accounts for 60% of the total petroleum consumption in the country. CIMNE’s Innovation...
For this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March, we’re talking to Clara Soler Bañuelos, a Researcher at CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT) - and PhD fellow at The Metropolitan Transport Authority of the Barcelona Area (ATM). From Civil Engineering to...
Public transport in Catalonia has been benefiting from temporary fare subsidies, which are only guaranteed until 30 June, 2025. Once they expire, it is not clear who should bear the cost of public transport, a share split between end users ─through ticket fares─ and...
Known for its beautiful landscape and vibrant culture, Bali is facing a growing challenge from traffic congestion and pollution. As tourism and population growth continue to rise, carbon emissions from traditional fuel-powered vehicles threaten environmental...
By Clara Soler i Bañuelos In the coming years, public transport authorities will face unprecedented financing challenges amidst radical transformations in urban mobility. CIMNE's Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT, operates at the critical intersection of...
A novel study by researchers at CIMNE and the Port of Barcelona has developed an innovative framework to accurately quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road transport activities within seaports. The research, which combines advanced data collection methods...
Dealing with sustainable mobility challenges is no easy task: from technological barriers to physical and infrastructure constraints, the evolution of urban transport is as complex as it is inevitable. The Turkish capital city of Ankara decided to address this...
CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT has released the Issue 3 of its magazine, Innovation in Transport Review. In this issue, experts from the group present insights and findings from some of their recent research, focusing on topics such as advanced transport...
Photo: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Around 3,000 maritime incidents occur every year in the European maritime fleet. 28% of these accidents are categorised as severe or very severe accidents. CIMNE is working with twelve other European partners to...
Railway stations hold a unique position in the urban landscape: they not only act as complex nodes of mobility and transport, but also as public places that can be seen as integral elements of the city. Consequently, stations have a decisive impact on their urban...
Schools play a central role in urban spaces, often serving as a second home for children. But modern cities can struggle with heavy traffic and congestion, particularly around school zones. Heavy traffic not only puts children at risk but also contributes to air and...
CIMNE’s innovation unit in transport, CENIT, is one of the more than 40 cross-cutting partners involved in the PIONEERS project, an ambitious European initiative led by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, that addresses the challenges that maritime terminals in the...
Our Last Mile Distribution course, organised in collaboration with EIT Urban Mobility, has been a huge success.⦁ Sergi Sauri, Director of CENIT, kicked off the first session with an overview of the pressing issues surrounding last-mile distribution in cities.⦁ In week...
This year’s Smart City Expo 2023 held at the Fira Barcelona was a chance for the CENIT team to connect with brilliant minds across the field of Smart Cities and sustainable mobility.Our stand was a hive of activity with visitors from around the world including...
The International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) will participate in the Smart City Expo Congress 2023, which will take place from 7 to 9 November at the Fira de Barcelona. At the event, CENIT Group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport will...
CIMNE's Innovation Unit in Transport, CENIT, has published the second issue of Innovation in Transport magazine, offering a deep dive into smart and sustainable mobility solutions and cutting-edge transport research. Articles in this issue This second edition of the...
WE’RE HIRING! CENIT is looking for a Transport Researcher to join our team of diverse and experienced multilingual researchers. Location: UPC Campus Nord, Barcelona Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) Responsibilities: ⦁ Work on innovative transport and...
CENIT’S ANDRÉS REYES DÍAZ WINS THE ABERTIS PRIZE FOR BEST MASTER’S DISSERTATION IN SPAIN The Abertis Spain Chair, associated with the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, awarded its 20th Abertis Awards for research into Sustainable Mobility to the best Master's and...
UNLOCKING SUSTAINABLE FUNDING: CIMNE'S COLLABORATION WITH ATM FOR FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODELS In order to define a sustainable, permanent, sufficient, and stable funding model for public transport until the year 2040, the ATM (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità)...
CENIT'S LATEST STUDY REVEALS THE IMPACT OF THE EU ETS ON MARITIME TRANSPORT CENIT has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the EU ETS extension. The resulting study shows how the EU ETS would impact on the European maritime system negatively. The main reason is that...
A STEP FORWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN COSTA RICA CENIT visited San José in Costa Rica last month to deliver the key outcomes from our consultancy focused on the electrification of Costa Rica's San José Metropolitan Area (SJMA) public transport. Costa Rica has set...
The researcher from the CENIT Group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport at CIMNE, Samra Sarwar, has published the article "Analysis of superblocks during the transition phase from traditional vehicles to a fully automated vehicle environment: A case study of...
From smart cities to the future of ports, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and CENIT are introducing three innovative micro-credentials on the digitalization of mobility. These flexible short courses are designed to help professionals acquire and improve...
Last month the Turkish delegation comprised of EGO Executives, EGO staff and our project partner DAI Global Belgium SRL paid a study visit to Spain within the frame of “Smart Ankara Sustainable Urban Mobility Project (SUMP project)” which is financed by the European...
This January 2023, Genís Majoral and Sergi Saurí presented at the 102nd TRB Annual Meeting in Washington, a research entitled “Lessons from Reality on Automated Container Terminals: What Can Be Expected from Future Technological Developments.” The paper will be...
Figure: phases of the deployment of the recharging points infrastructure One of the main challenges currently facied by the road freight sector is the reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, while one of the strategies to address it comes from technological...
Participants in the Last Mile Distribution training Last February, CENIT organised, jointly with EIT UM, a training course on last mile distribution, sponsored by the Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATM) of Barcelona. The course provided an overview of last mile...
Figure 1: current functioning model of stations (the most common in European stations) Figure 2: SCP model CENIT is part of the consortium working on the HORIZON project RAIL4CITIES - Railway stations for green and socially-inclusive cities. Stations hold a unique...
In November, Cenit was delighted to continue our collaboration with the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) by welcoming the Singapore delegation here to Barcelona. We enjoyed an action-packed week which included a visit to see Barcelona’s famous superblocks and a ride...
In October, CENIT-CIMNE was in charge of the organisation of the 2nd Conference on Fire Safety at Sea #CFIS2022 held at the European Maritime Safety Agency premises in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a successful, enjoyable conference which counted on over 150 attendees in a...
In November, Cenit were delighted to have their first stand at the Smart City Expo World Congress. We had unparalleled opportunities for networking and promoting our research and lots of fascinating visits and meetings at our stand. We are working through and...
El CENIT y el EIT de Urban Mobility organizan un curso sobre Distribución de Última Milla. Durante cuatro sesiones se expondrán los principales problemas de la logística urbana, especialmente el reparto de la última milla, posibles soluciones y el modo más adecuado de...
Barcelona City Council and CENIT-CIMNE are working on the Kids First (K1) Project, which is co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility. Check out the ongoing work in Barcelona for making the city sustainable for kids. Barcelona City Council is currently undergoing the execution...
The group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of CIMNE, CENIT, takes part in the EU-funded project K1 (Kids First). Within the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) programme, the K1 (Kids First) address the task of rethink one of the most crucial...
CENIT, CIMNE's Innovation Unit in Transport, has launched the first issue of its annual magazine, bringing together cutting-edge research and analysis on the transport challenges shaping our world. The publication reflects the breadth of work underway across the unit,...
Recently, Advanced Factories, the largest congress on industry 4.0 which will take place in April 2023 in Barcelona, has shared in its social networks an interview to Sergi Saurí, the leader of CENIT, the group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of CIMNE....
From 21 to 30 November 2022, CENIT, the group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of CIMNE, will give a training a course about the distribution of the last mille. The distribution of the last mile is one of the main problems of cities. This course offers to the...
OCEAN is the acronym of Operator-Centered Enhancement of Awareness in Navigation, an European-funded project coordinated by HVL, the Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences. It has just started at the beginning of this month and CIMNE researcher Francisco...
09/09/22 Researcher: Samra Sarwar Location: European Transport Conference (ETC) Milan, Italy Title: Optimal Dynamic Tolls for Commuting During Transition Phase from Manual Car to Fully Autonomous Vehicle Environment. 15/09/22 Researcher: Francisco Rodero Location:...
European multidisciplinary consortium receives EU funding to increase navigational safety The OCEAN project is focused on enhancing operator awareness in navigation, to reduce the frequency of severe accidents like collision and grounding, to mitigate...
Ongoing research at CENIT is heading toward analyzing future cities incorporating tactical urbanism with a superblock model approach. The elevated dependency on cars for mobility, consequent environmental pollution due to emissions and reduction of public spaces are...
The capacity of the container ship fleet is growing for the first time in many years. What do these new vessels look like? Will they continue to break capacity records? Are they more sustainable? We look at trends based on new vessel orders by the major shipping...
According an UNESCO resolution, on 11th February the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated. This Day wants to recognize the critical role played by women and girls in science and technology. Coinciding with the celebration,...
The researchers of the CENIT - Group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport are participating these days in different forums of transport. Their intense activity can be followed from the social networks of the group. In this article we summarize some of...
Abstract The revolution towards the port of the future is going to change the long-term Port Business Ecosystem (PBE). The objective of this paper is to analyse how current trends might have implications for the future PBE. For this purpose, the research uses the...
The researcher Samra Sarwar from CENIT, the group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of CIMNE, will be presenting her work at the European Transport Conference 2022 that will take place in Milan (Italy). Sarwar will participate in the area of Transport, Economics,...
The Hubs for Last Mile Delivery Solutions activity aim to alleviate local environmental and traffic problems in urban areas through the creation of shared urban consolidation and distribution centres (UCDC), on the borders of the LEZ implemented in AMB. During the...
In April, Cenit signed a research collaboration agreement with the Center for Liveable Cities of Singapore and Casa Asia. It provides a great opportunity to share experiences between Barcelona and Singapore in the field of mobility. TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY...
Check out the infographic on Africa Marrero to celebrate the International Women in Maritime Day. Africa infografic Word for newsletter.docx Africa Marrero Ports and Maritime Researcher at Cenit
A new course on Demand Modeling Traditional transport demand models; 4 stage models, have evolved from trip-based to tour-based to activity-based models. Activity-based models assume that a person’s need to travel is based on what activities they are involved in. The...
According to the Institute for Mobility Research in Berlin (IFMO), 18- to 30-year-olds have no interest in owning a car, due to a greater regard for the environment as well as a shift in needs and priorities. Public transport, carsharing services and UBER are the...
Do you ever wonder how your smartwatch or smartphone can differentiate between walking and jogging while tracking your exercise routine? This aspect is known as Human Activity Recognition (HAR) and is based on the analysis of various sensors’ data including GPS,...
Air pollution has been described as the ‘new tobacco’ by the head of the World Health Organization. In fact over 90% of the world’s population suffers toxic air and research is increasingly revealing the profound impacts on the health of people, especially children....
Crowd management has taken on a renewed importance in our cities following the outbreak of Covid-19 in autumn 2019. Along with important economic and social changes we have also seen our mobility and safety in urban spaces compromised. City Councils are required to...
In 1966, the first container liner service from the US to the Dutch city of Rotterdam started and with it we witnessed the birth of international container shipping. The ensuing success of containerization not only changed the face of shipping, but also...
Tras congregar a más de 5000 directivos y profesionales del sector en su versión online en 2020, el Congreso de Innovación Logística se ha consolidado como el punto de encuentro de conocimiento y foro de networking de referencia en España y Latinoamérica. En 2021, y...
The consultancy financed by the Inter-American Development Bank for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has been successfully delivered by CENIT and fellow research partners; CPCS Canada and Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland.With...
The Port of Barcelona signs agreement with CENIT and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) to finance 3 PhD positions.The agreement is signed as the Port of Barcelona looks to continue to develop research themes that are critical to the definition of the Port´s...
CENIT joins an international consortium of 46 partners led by the Port of Antwerp to form a leading voice on the Greening of European Ports. The PIONEERS consortium has been awarded a 25 million euro grant from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme. CENIT...
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Dr. Aleix Pons has successfully defended his thesis on Second-best pricing schemes for Transport InfrastructureDr. Pons worked on the CENIT transport economics and policy research team from 2014 to 2018 before moving to London to continue his career. During his time...
Diagram of hydrogen distribution stations for use in mobility: hydrogen and hydrolines. Source: www.energetica21.comCENIT reviews Hydrogen as an alternative technology and prepares a practical guide for public transport implementationWe are all agreed on the need to...
CENIT heads up innovative pilots to create foundations for a fossil-fuel free transportation zone business model for small businessesThe post-pandemic growth of e-commerce has raised concerns about the viability of small businesses being able to survive in a...
Francisco Rodero, Lead on Intelligent Transport Systems at CENIT, heads up a training session on mobility modelling during this coming month of June and July hosted by the Professional Association of Col.legi de Camins. Francisco will be sharing his expert knowledge...
The post analysis of the recent blocking of the Suez Canal during six days following the grounding of the 20,000 TEU container ship Ever Given continues with CENIT´s Javier Garrido being quoted in April´s edition of Mar. The full article runs from page 6, with Javier...
CENIT is delighted to announce that our PIONEERS consortium led by the Port of Antwerp has been awarded a 25 million euro grant from European Commission´s Horizon 2020 programme. CENIT will be working alongside other leading international think-tanks, ports, terminal-...
CENIT is in the news with Director Sergi Saurí being interviewed on Good Morning Europe on the continued debate surrounding the Government's plans to introduce pay per use tolls on all public highways by 2024. Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAxFCu8_JbY
On April 1st, HALLO project has kicked-off. Promoted by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, it will create shared Urban Consolidation and Distribution Centres (UCDC) in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) and demonstrate complementary actions such...
The Latin American Development Bank report highlights the current investment gap in the region and reviews intervention strategies to tackle future challenges and trends Increased and sustained investment in infrastructure is of paramount importance for...
CENIT has pioneered a holistic approach to evaluate infrastructure investments using an inclusive Cost Benefit Analysis approach All new major road and rail investment projects are subject to a set of strict criteria to determine the correct use of public funds...
CENIT aids call for municipal action on urban mobility with practical procurement guide for alternative bus technology Flowchart | Download PDF Traditionally the increase in urban mobility demand and infrastructure has been positively correlated with...
A new methodology to quantify ship emissions in the Port of Barcelona reduces the emissions of the most contaminating ships For years the environmental impact of port emissions has been overestimated due to a miss match in methodologies. Pollution from ship...
África Marrero, Naval and Oceanic Engineer by the Technical University of Cartagena, joined CENIT, the Innovation in Multimodal Transport Group of CIMNE, two years ago. Marrero’s research areas include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and sustainable...
Eglantina Dani is the co-leader of the European project EnerNETMob: Mediterranean Interregional Electromobility Networks for intermodal and interurban low carbon transport systems at CIMNE. She is a member of CENIT, Group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of...
Recently, the researchers of CENIT Group for Innovation in Multimodal Transport of CIMNE have appeared as experts in urban mobility. Sergi Saurí, leader of the group, gave his opinion in the newspaper "La Nació Digital" which addresses, among other...