MOST

What MOST does

MOST (Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile) is an Italian non-profit foundation established in December 2021 by Decreto Direttoriale MUR n. 3138 to coordinate the country's sustainable mobility research under the PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza). It operates a Hub & Spoke model with a central coordinating hub and 14 Spoke Leaders hosted by Italian universities and CNR, covering air mobility, sustainable road vehicles, maritime transport, rail, light vehicles, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV/CCAM), MaaS, urban mobility, freight logistics, innovative materials, propulsion, electric traction, and hydrogen. The foundation aggregates a network of 138+ member organizations (60% SMEs), 27+ strategic partners including Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, CNR, Università di Bologna, and CDP, and over 200 collaborating entities, with 3,302+ experts participating across projects.

The service portfolio combines research programs (Flagship Projects, Proof of Concept, Scalability Programs, Urban Auto Labs), startup programs (Open Innovation, MOST Mobility Challenge/Competition, annual Investor Day), training (MOOC Education, TraDeMa Winter School aligned to UNI 11977:2024), and two research observatories (MOBISCO for mobility demand, Osservatorio Freight Insights for logistics, anchored on the €94.3B Italian logistics market). Technology delivery leans on the European 5G SESAMO project, which MOST coordinates with a €15.6M budget (€11.7M EU contribution) to deploy 5G Standalone infrastructure for connected mobility, logistics, digital healthcare, and emergency services.

MOST's revenue model is essentially non-commercial: it draws almost entirely on PNRR funding administered through MUR, with additional targeted EU grants such as HaDEA's €11.7M for 5G SESAMO. Funds are distributed via cascade funding programs (per-call envelopes of €200K–€2.28M) routed through the 14 Spokes to SMEs, universities, and research centers. End-beneficiaries are diversified (universities, large enterprises such as TIM and Tangenziale di Napoli, SMEs, startups, and government bodies including MIT), but the counterparties supplying capital are heavily concentrated in Italian and EU public sources.

Name

MOST

Legal name

MOST - Fondazione Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile

Website

https://www.centronazionalemost.it/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MOST is the Italian National Center for Sustainable Mobility, a PNRR-funded non-profit foundation coordinating a Hub & Spoke network of 14 university-led Spokes, 200+ organizations, and 3,302 experts across all mobility verticals, distributing cascade funding and managing flagship, observatories, and EU projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Mobility Research Coordination

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Engineering & Public Works Technical Assistance (WASH/Transport/Energy) (BPADAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Active Transportation & Micromobility Infrastructure (Bike/Ped Networks, Shared Mobility Programs) (BPAIALAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable mobility research
• Mobility innovation network
• Connected autonomous vehicles
• Clean transport research
• Startup mobility acceleration

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. PNRR (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza) Funding: Primary funding from Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), managed through the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). The center coordinates and distributes research funding across the network of universities, research centers, and companies for sustainable mobility projects.
2. Cascade Funding Programs: MOST distributes cascade funding through 14 Spokes to external organizations including SMEs, large enterprises, universities, and research centers via open calls and public tenders, with total funding amounts ranging from €200,000 to €2.28 million per program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MOST is Italy's National Center for Sustainable Mobility, coordinating a national research ecosystem across sustainable mobility domains (autonomous vehicles, electric mobility, hydrogen, maritime, rail, air mobility, MaaS, urban mobility, freight logistics, and innovative materials). The foundation manages flagship research projects, proof-of-concept pilots, European-funded projects such as 5G SESAMO, startup acceleration and open innovation programs, professional training (MOOCs, TraDeMa Winter School), and research observatories (MOBISCO, Freight Insights). It channels PNRR and EU funding to network members through a Hub & Spoke model with 14 specialized Spoke Leaders connecting 200+ organizations.

Product overview

MOST (Centro Nazionale per la Mobilità Sostenibile) is Italy's National Center for Sustainable Mobility, a research consortium that operates as a coordination ecosystem rather than a single product company. The organization drives sustainable mobility innovation through interconnected programs: Flagship Projects (ambitious pilot initiatives like autonomous driving communication, e-bike events, sustainable materials, hydrogen propulsion, and advanced manufacturing), Proof of Concept Projects (early-stage technology testing including drone monitoring, battery systems, fuel cells, and additive manufacturing), European Projects (5G SESAMO for digital infrastructure), Open Innovation Programs (startup challenges, competitions, and acceleration), Training/Education (MOOC Education, TraDeMa Winter School), and Research Observatories (MOBISCO and Osservatorio Freight Insights tracking mobility and logistics trends). The ecosystem connects over 200 universities, research centers, companies, and institutions working collaboratively to advance sustainable mobility technologies and solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flagship Projects Ambitious pilot projects developed in collaboration with major industry players that redefine sustainable mobility standards through integrated, technologically advanced solutions oriented toward real-world impact.
• Proof of Concept Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• €354 million invested in research and innovation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Politecnico di MilanocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 4 (Rail Transport) and Spoke 2 (Sustainable Road Vehicles) Leader. Coordinates research on railway systems and electric vehicle technologies. Key academic partner managing significant cascade funding programs.
• Politecnico di TorinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 1 (Air Mobility) Leader. Coordinates research on advanced air mobility solutions including drones and autonomous flying vehicles.
• CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RicerchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 3 (Maritime Transport) Leader. Also affiliated entity for European projects like 5G SESAMO. Coordinates national research activities across multiple mobility domains.
• Università di Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 11 (Innovative Materials and Light-weighting) Leader. Coordinates research on sustainable materials for automotive and aerospace applications.
• Università di Napoli Federico IIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 7 (CCAM and Smart Infrastructure) Leader. Coordinates research on connected, cooperative, and automated mobility and intelligent transportation systems.
• TIM S.p.A.majorTechnology or IntegrationBeneficiary in 5G SESAMO European project developing 5G infrastructure for secure and safe mobility. Contributing to digital infrastructure modernization for transportation.
• Università di Modena e Reggio EmiliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 6 (CAV - Connected and Autonomous Vehicles) Leader. Coordinates research on autonomous vehicle technologies and V2X communication systems.
• Università di BergamocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 5 (Light Vehicles and Active Mobility) Leader. Coordinates research on electric bikes, light electric vehicles, and active mobility solutions.
• Politecnico di BaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 8 (MaaS and Innovative Services) Leader. Coordinates research on Mobility as a Service platforms and new mobility service models.
• Università di Roma La SapienzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpoke 9 (Urban Mobility) Leader. Coordinates research on urban transportation systems and city-level mobility planning.
• Fondazione Bruno KesslermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch foundation partner contributing to technology development in mobility sector, part of the broader network ecosystem.
• Movyon (Gruppo Autostrade per l'Italia)majorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner in Smart Road projects including Tangenziale di Napoli certification. Develops digital infrastructure and sensor systems for intelligent transportation.
• PAVE EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of autonomous driving events and policy discussions. Partnership for promoting autonomous vehicle awareness and policy development in Europe.
• TTS ItaliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of transport telematics events. Partnership for intelligent transportation systems development and policy advocacy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's leading applied research organization operating a Hub & Spoke model with 76 institutes conducting industry-oriented research across multiple domains. Most structurally comparable to MOST given its mix of public funding, industry collaboration, applied research focus, and decentralized coordination across technology domains.
• TNO: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research operates applied research with strong mobility, energy, and sustainability programs. Comparable to MOST as a publicly-funded applied research organization bridging academia and industry across multiple mobility-related technology domains.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's national applied research organization with significant mobility, energy, and sustainability programs. Comparable to MOST as a state-owned research entity coordinating cross-domain applied research with industry partnerships and EU funding capture.
• ENEA: Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. Direct domestic peer as Italy's other major public research entity with overlapping sustainability, energy, and innovation mandates; complementary rather than competitive to MOST's mobility focus.
• Catapult UK: Network of UK innovation and RTO centers spanning multiple technology domains including transport, energy, and digital. Comparable to MOST through its hub-and-spoke structure, public-private funding mix, and mission of accelerating technology commercialization through industry-academia collaboration.
• EIT Urban Mobility: European innovation partnership focused on sustainable urban mobility, funded under Horizon Europe with similar consortium structure. Highly comparable to MOST given shared urban mobility focus, public funding model, and role in coordinating startup support and demonstration projects across European partners.
• ERTICO - ITS Europe: Public-private partnership focused on Intelligent Transport Systems and cooperative mobility across Europe. Comparable to MOST through its coordination role in CCAM, smart infrastructure, and mobility innovation; partner in MOST's autonomous driving events (joint events with PAVE Europe and TTS Italia).
• CSEM: Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology operating as a public-private applied research organization with industry partnerships. Comparable to MOST's smaller Spoke leaders through its applied research, technology transfer, and multi-domain industry collaboration model.
• MaaS Alliance: European public-private partnership advancing Mobility as a Service deployment. Comparable to MOST as a coordination body for MaaS innovation, with shared partners in Politecnico di Bari (MOST's Spoke 8 leader for MaaS) and overlapping focus on integrated mobility service models.

Broad incumbents

• EARTO: European Association of Research and Technology Organisations representing 350+ RTOs across Europe. A broader incumbent network that MOST could potentially affiliate with; useful as the European-level umbrella body comparable to MOST's national coordination role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInit.linkedin.com/company/centronazionalemost

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about MOST