Small and medium-sized cities across Central Europe face common challenges: limited resources, changing passenger needs, fragmented transport networks and the need to balance accessibility, efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Through international cooperation, data-driven planning and real-world pilot activities, the OPTI-UP project has explored practical approaches to addressing these challenges.
The Final Conference will bring together project partners, public transport professionals, local and regional authorities, mobility experts and other stakeholders to reflect on the project’s achievements and explore how its results can support future public transport planning.
Conference Agenda
09:00–09:30 | Registration and Coffee
09:30–09:45 | Opening of the Conference
Speakers: Majda Pavleković (EY Croatia), Ivana Podhraški (EY Croatia), Claudia Pamperl (Joint Secretariat), Ivan Lajtman (National Body)
09:45–10:15 | OPTI-UP in 30 Minutes: What Did We Set Out to Solve?
Speaker: Mateo Uravić (EY Croatia)
10:20–11:20 | Panel 1: Is the City Too Small for Public Transport – or Are Our Habits Holding Us Back?
Moderator: Mateo Uravić (EY Croatia)
Panelists: Alessandro Luè (Poliedra), Takeru Shibayama (TUW), Marko Šoštarić (FPZ), Luka Krstulović (Interdis)
11:20–11:40 | Coffee Break
11:45–12:05 | From Pilots to Practice: Implementing Public Transport Solutions and Finding the Right Funding
Speakers: Katarina Jarža (EY Croatia), Ivan Oleksa (EY Croatia)
12:10–13:00 | Panel 2: From Plans to Practice – Implementing Public Transport Improvements in Small and Medium-Sized Cities
Moderator: Ivan Oleksa (EY Croatia)
Panelists: Primož Kranjec (PIL), Ivan Kundić (GP Šibenik), Damir Šoštarić (MMPI), Tamara Lachowski
13:00–13:15 | Presentation of the OPTI-UP Toolkit
Speakers: Mateja Puhalo Matica (EY Croatia), Zsolt Pálmai (STRIA)
13:15–13:30 | Closing: Key Takeaways and Next Steps
13:30–15:00 | Lunch & Networking
Event Information
Date: 20 October 2026
Time: 09:00–15:00 (CEST)
Venue: Sheraton Zagreb Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia
Language: English, with simultaneous interpretation into Croatian.
Interested in attending in person?
Register for the OPTI-UP Final Conference →
Follow the Conference Online
The conference will also be available via live stream, allowing interested stakeholders and members of the public to follow the presentations and discussions remotely.
The live streaming link will be published on this page closer to the event.