Forum Vies Mobiles

What Forum Vies Mobiles does

Forum Vies Mobiles is a French non-profit research association (think tank) founded around 2012 and headquartered in Paris, dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of mobility, lifestyles, and transportation policy. The organization conducts large-sample quantitative surveys (up to 15,000 respondents across Paris, London, and New York; 12,000 respondents on leisure-time mobility with L'Obsoco) as well as qualitative research, photographic missions, citizen forums and editorial monitoring. Its core outputs are content resources rather than commercial products: research publications, books, videos, podcasts, an online dictionary of mobility concepts, a citizen aspirations platform, a bimonthly newsletter ('La Quinzaine'), public events and exhibitions such as 'Les vies qu'on mène'. All materials are distributed freely in French and English.

The underlying 'technology' is fundamentally social-science research methodology: survey design and fieldwork (often executed via partner polling firms such as BVA Xsight and OpinionWay), statistical analysis, editorial production, and a multi-channel content distribution stack (website, newsletter, Twitter/X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Vimeo). Forum Vies Mobiles also acts as a convening platform, coordinating joint dossiers with peer organizations such as CREDOC, L'Obsoco, La Fabrique Écologique, Métropolitiques, IDHEAL and Fabrique de l'Industrie, and academic partners including Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris Nanterre, Sciences Po, École d'Urbanisme de Paris and EPFL's Mobil'Homme laboratory.

Its business model is that of a publicly funded interest organization rather than a commercial enterprise. The association does not sell products or services and generates no disclosed revenue; operations are sustained primarily by SNCF, the French National Railway Company, which is featured as 'Soutenu par' on the website footer and provides the sncf.fr email infrastructure used by staff. End 'customers' are policy makers and government officials (primary), academic researchers and universities (primary), the general public and citizens interested in mobility (primary), and transportation industry professionals (secondary), served through open-access digital distribution, direct institutional outreach, and academic network partnerships.

Name

Forum Vies Mobiles

Legal name

Forum Vies Mobiles

Website

https://forumviesmobiles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forum Vies Mobiles is a French non-profit mobility think tank, founded around 2012 and funded by SNCF, that conducts interdisciplinary social-science research, large-scale surveys, and citizen engagement on transportation and lifestyle, publishing freely accessible studies, videos, podcasts and exhibitions for policy makers, academics and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forum Vies Mobiles is a French non-profit think tank that conducts interdisciplinary social science research on mobility patterns, transportation behaviors, and lifestyle transitions. It produces large-scale surveys, qualitative studies, policy recommendations, and citizen engagement programs on topics including sustainable transport, social inequalities in mobility, ecological transition, and alternative mobility systems.

Product overview

Forum Vies Mobiles is a think tank (association) focused on mobility research, not a commercial technology product company. The organization provides a collection of informational content resources including publications, videos/podcasts, a dictionary of mobility terminology, research projects (ongoing and completed), events calendar, citizen aspirations platform, and photographic exhibitions. These resources are freely accessible educational and research materials, primarily in French with some English translations, aimed at researchers, policymakers, and citizens interested in mobility studies. There are no commercial software products, SaaS offerings, or paid services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Publications Research publications, books, and reports on mobility topics produced by the think tank and contributing researchers, available freely online.
• Videos and Podcasts Video documentaries and podcast series exploring mobility-related topics and research findings for the general public and professionals.
• Dictionary of Mobility Concepts Online dictionary of mobility-related concepts and terminology, providing definitions and references for researchers and citizens.
• Research Projects (Recherches) Ongoing and completed research projects covering various aspects of mobility including transportation, lifestyle changes, and policy implications.
• Events and Webinars Calendar of events, webinars, conferences, and public presentations organized by or involving Forum Vies Mobiles.
• Citizen Aspirations Platform Platform documenting citizen aspirations regarding mobility and transportation based on participatory research, including the Forum Citoyen des Vies Mobiles.
• Photographic Exhibitions Photography exhibitions and artistic installations exploring mobility themes, including the 'Les vies qu'on mène' photographic mission presented at Cité internationale des arts.
• La Quinzaine Newsletter Bimonthly newsletter providing updates on mobility research, events, and publications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Proposes limiting air travel to 2 round trips per year per person to avoid more than 5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Réseau DiagonalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotographer collective that collaborated on the 'Mission photographique : 20 photographes, 20 regards sur les vies qu'on aime' photographic project exploring mobility and leisure time in France.
• CREDOC (Centre de Recherche pour l'Étude et l'Observation des Conditions de Vie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center that partnered with Forum Vies Mobiles on the national survey about 'éconduits de la voiture' (people excluded from car use), conducting a major survey on mobility exclusion in France.
• BVA XsightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting firm that collaborated on research about seniors and cycling practices, providing survey research expertise for the study 'La pratique du vélo entre 60 et 80 ans'.
• OpinionWayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolling institute that partnered on the 'Mercato des postes' study, providing opinion survey capabilities for research on job position exchanges to reduce commute distances.
• La Fabrique ÉcologiqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental think tank that collaborated on research including 'Quelle résilience pour les territoires insulaires?' (resilience of island territories) and 'Pour une mobilité sobre : la révolution des véhicules légers' (sober mobility: the light vehicle revolution).
• L'Obsoco (Observatoire Société et Consommation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and consulting organization specializing in consumption and society studies that partnered on the national survey about mobility related to leisure time, surveying 12,000 people.
• MétropolitiquesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic journal that collaborated on a joint dossier titled 'Les mobilités post-covid : un monde d'après plus écologique?' examining post-pandemic mobility paradoxes.
• IDHEALminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution that partnered on the conference 'Logement et mobilité : les territoires face au rebond industriel' examining housing and mobility challenges in industrial revival territories.
• Fabrique de l'IndustrieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry think tank that co-organized the conference on housing and mobility challenges with Forum Vies Mobiles and IDHEAL.
• Various French Universities and Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with multiple universities including Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, Paris Nanterre, École d'Urbanisme de Paris, Sciences Po, Institut d'Urbanisme de Lyon, and EPFL's Mobil'Homme laboratory. Collaborations include student workshops, joint research projects, and academic publications. Multiple Master programs collaborate on research projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• France Stratégie: French government strategy and policy research agency attached to the Prime Minister's office. Comparable role producing evidence-based policy recommendations, but with direct governmental mandate and substantially larger resources than FVM.
• UITP (International Association of Public Transport): International association representing public transport authorities and operators, including knowledge and research arm on mobility policy. Comparable focus on collective transport and sustainable mobility, with industry association rather than think tank structure.
• Cerema: French public agency for territorial development and mobility research, operating with significantly larger scale and statutory authority. Comparable research focus on transportation, urban planning, and ecological transition, but as a state-funded institution rather than independent think tank.
• ADEME: French ecological transition agency funding and conducting research on sustainable transport, low-emission mobility, and carbon reduction. Comparable mission on mobility decarbonization but operates as a state agency with a much broader environmental remit.
• ITDP (Institute for Transportation and Development Policy): International non-profit promoting sustainable and equitable urban transportation, operating in a similar independent think tank model. Comparable focus on mobility policy advocacy and research, with global scope rather than France-specific.
• Institut Paris Région: French urban planning and regional development agency producing research on Île-de-France mobility, land use, and transport infrastructure. Overlaps with FVM's regional mobility research themes but at greater institutional scale.

Direct peers

• 6t - bureau de recherche: French mobility research consultancy conducting quantitative and qualitative studies on mobility behaviors, similar in scale and methodology to Forum Vies Mobiles. Operates in the same French mobility research niche with overlapping client base in public policy.
• Fabrique de l'Industrie: French industry think tank and existing FVM partner that co-organized conferences on housing and mobility. Operates a similar independent French think tank model producing research for policy debate.
• La Fabrique Écologique: French environmental think tank and existing FVM partner that co-publishes reports on sustainable mobility (e.g., sober mobility/light vehicles, island resilience). Comparable French think tank model with policy advocacy focus.
• L'Obsoco: French research and consulting organization on consumption and society, and existing core FVM partner that jointly conducted the 12,000-respondent national survey on mobility and leisure. Comparable French social research methodology and survey execution capability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FViesMobiles
• YouTubevimeo.com/mobilelivesforum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-vies-mobiles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forum Vies Mobiles