The Rhein-Main Institute for Transformative Studies in Mobility and Logistics (RITMO) was successfully represented at the 13th Symposium of the European Association for Research in Transportation (hEART) at the Technical University of Munich.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Kowald, Dr. Margarita Gutjar (senior researcher) and Christian Wirtgen (member of staff and doctoral candidate) represented the research center at the international conference. Christian Wirtgen presented his ongoing research entitled "Demand Forecasting with Machine-Learning Models for Bike-Sharing Systems based on Open Data", while Dr. Margarita Gutjar presented her joint research with Dr. Chiara Calastri (University of Leeds) and Prof. Kowald entitled "Electric vehicle ownership dynamics at household level: A stated adaptation experiment on the effects of pricing and incentive policies".

The hEART symposium offers scientists an important platform for international exchange on current topics in mobility and logistics research. "We not only learned about exciting new findings, but above all about innovative research methods and current trends," reports Dr. Margarita Gutjar. Christian Wirtgen also emphasizes how important the symposium is, especially for young researchers: "It is an excellent opportunity to receive valuable feedback and make new contacts."

The conference regularly leads to new collaborations for future research projects. "We are very pleased and proud that RITMO is part of this strong scientific network," says Prof. Kowald.

The 14th hEART symposium will be hosted by the Université Gustave Eiffel in Paris next year. RITMO researchers are already looking forward to submitting papers again and presenting their work to an international audience of experts.