Empowering communities: THI strengthens partnerships in Colombia

The conference focussed on two closely interlinked sustainability topics: the social transformation towards safe mobility and the use of renewable energy sources. In the area of safe mobility, the current goals of German and European measures were presented and examples of AI applications in everyday traffic such as intelligent infrastructure (cameras, traffic light systems, etc.) and the potential of networked automated road users were presented.

The second focus was on integrative measures relating to energy transition issues. Firstly, the connections between energy demand and development in Germany as well as issues relating to the fair distribution of the costs and benefits of the energy transition were presented. The subsequent lecture focussed on the current and forecast energy demand in Colombia and outlined approaches to how this can be met both technically and socially. The lecture series was aimed at students, scientists from various disciplines, municipal decision-makers, and the general public. This was followed by a discussion on opportunities, challenges, adaptations, and future scenarios in Colombia and Germany.

To maximize outreach, the conference took place on-site in Medellín and digitally in Bogotá. The first tangible result is the interest of the transport authority in joint projects in Medellín with EIA and THI. This is the beginning of a broader collaboration between the universities and Colombian institutions. Students from various disciplines are to be actively involved in the development of innovative solutions, particularly in the context of passenger mobility between Ingolstadt and the two Colombian cities.