After three years of collaboration, the Interreg Central Europe project DREAM_PACE has come to an end.
From March 2023 to February 2026, 12 partners from five countries worked together to make mobility in Central Europe’s rural, peripheral and urban areas more accessible, connected and responsive to people’s needs. The project focused on better integrating Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) with public transport networks.
Through Living Labs, pilot activities and cooperation with local stakeholders, DREAM_PACE explored solutions in Bologna, Pavia, Budapest, Osttirol, Baden-Württemberg and Split-Dalmatia County. The partners addressed diverse local contexts: strengthening the integration of existing DRT services with public transport, improving coordination among initiatives, and developing new approaches where flexible mobility services were needed.
A key achievement of DREAM_PACE is the shared knowledge developed on governance, planning, digital tools and operational models for DRT. The project demonstrated that demand-responsive services can play an important role as part of an integrated mobility system — complementing regular public transport, improving access in low-density areas and supporting more inclusive and sustainable travel choices.
The project’s final activities, including the final conference in Berlin and local final events, brought together public authorities, transport operators, researchers and mobility practitioners to exchange experiences and discuss how the project’s results can be applied beyond the pilot regions.
Although DREAM_PACE formally concludes on 28 February 2026, its work continues through the partnerships, strategies and practical tools developed during the project. The results provide a basis for authorities and operators across Central Europe to plan, test and scale demand-responsive mobility services that better connect people to opportunities.
Thank you to all project partners, stakeholders and participants who contributed to DREAM_PACE.