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Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer:

Our European Meeting of Transport Ministers is overcoming the corona restrictions as we are taking Passau to Berlin and bringing Europe’s capitals together. On the occasion of today’s Informal Council of Transport Ministers, we are presenting Passau to the whole of Europe as an attractive location for innovative businesses. Passau is home to innovative research, excellent research centres and also provides an ideal breeding ground for start-ups. Therefore we will take you on a virtual tour of the “Opportunities presented by the Digital Revolution” exhibition at Passau University. Other insights will be given by astronaut Dr Alexander Gerst and Professor Matthias Nießner from the Munich University of Technology on artificial intelligence.

Passau Declaration

With the “Passau Declaration” – the Smart Deal for Mobility – we are working together to lay the groundwork for digital mobility in Europe and thus for our future.

  • In the field of the digital transformation of mobility, we are putting people centre stage. From the beginning, we are taking human needs into account - in both cities and rural areas. For example: Autonomous vehicles will bring their passengers safely to their destination; drones and delivery robots will deliver packages to the doorstep. This not only means better mobility, but will also reduce the climate change impact.
  • The virtual communication that many of us are currently experiencing while working from home will complement our current physical mobility. This means that we will shift traffic from the roads to data networks, which will not only reduce congestion on the roads but will also help us to meet our climate change targets.
  • With data, we will create an ever more precise digital model of the physical world. Buildings, plants, water bodies as well as roads will become visible on maps in real time, just like vehicles, individuals and goods. Only if we achieve highly detailed modelling of the real world can autonomous cars, for instance, drive safely to their destination or drones deliver their package. But data are also useful for planning personal mobility and organising reliable supply chains.

Our vision of Europe

People take centre stage: Our mobility must not be achieved at the expense of our environment, human health and our natural resources. This means:

  • For the mobility of people – reliably meeting the individual mobility needs of all individuals, irrespective of their income, age or place of residence.
  • For the mobility of freight – ensuring the reliable availability of goods for everyone, at all times and in all places, especially in times of crisis.
  • For the mobility of data – ensuring the free flow of information on the basis of the highest standards and data sovereignty in the European mobility data space as a basis for innovative applications.

To make this vision a reality, we intend to cooperate proactively with the European institutions. We want to join forces to ensure that Europe exploits the opportunities inherent in the digital revolution for future-proof mobility, a powerful economy with secure, attractive jobs and a liveable climate-neutral future.