On June 18, 2026, the fourth edition of the Forschungs.Focaccia event series took place at TRIANGEL Studio Karlsruhe. Around 50 guests took the opportunity to learn about current research projects, ask questions, and engage in conversation with the speakers.
The event offered fascinating insights into two current research projects from Karlsruhe’s mobility ecosystem. Alexandra Nick from the Institute for Industrial Engineering and Business Organization (ifab) at KIT presented her research on trust in autonomous trams. She highlighted the types of information passengers need to better understand autonomous systems and trust them in everyday life. It became clear that the design of communication between the vehicle and the passenger plays a crucial role in the acceptance of new mobility solutions.
Another focus of the evening was the C2CBridge project. Dr. Maike Puhe (KIT-ITAS) presented initial findings on identifying mobility needs in peri-urban areas and highlighted the requirements that autonomous on-demand shared taxis must meet in order to be genuinely accepted and used in everyday life. Her insights were based on public surveys and interviews conducted in several surrounding municipalities in the Karlsruhe region.
The discussion that followed highlighted the great interest in sustainable mobility solutions and made it clear that the success of innovative transportation concepts depends not only on technology, but above all on the needs and expectations of local residents.
We would like to thank the two speakers as well as all the guests for the engaging presentations, the lively discussion, and the successful event.
Presentations followed by a panel discussion at Triangel Studio.
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