Jorge Mato Medrano, communication manager of the SUM+LAB group in Santander (Cantabria) explain the biggest challenges of our time: urban mobility.
We inhabit in a world in constant movement, in a time where sustainability is an imperative and the need to enhance our cities grows ever more pressing. Today I would like to introduce you to SUM+LAB, a research group at the University of Cantabria that focuses on Sustainable Mobility and Railway Engineering and seeks to transform how we perceive and navigate our urban landscapes.
Founded in 2019, but with more than 20 years of research experience, SUM-LAB group is tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time: urban mobility. Traffic congestion and pollution are issues not only undermining the efficiency of our cities, but also diminish the quality of life of their inhabitants. Our mission is to design a path towards sustainability and efficiency through innovative, practical solutions.
Thanks to the support of the Santander City Council (Spain), the Ministry of Economy of the Spanish Government and a regional development aid programme of the European Union (the FEDER Programme), the group established its headquarters five years ago, a facility called the Laboratory for Dynamic Modelling of Traffic and Public Transport.
The lab is linked to the traffic control centre of the city of Santander, facilitating leading-edge research into real-time mobility system control and management. This enables the research team to devise novel solutions and strategies for rendering our cities more efficient and sustainable, bringing us one step closer to the creation of bona fide SmartCities.
Pollution alert
In addition, SUM+LAB has fashioned a device to gauge and monitor the three pollutants that are the main cause of premature deaths related to air quality: ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The final design of the device allows for three different configurations: mounting on top of public buses, fixed positions set-ups (e.g. bus stops and tunnels), and as a portable device.
The laboratory continuously evolves to address emergent issues in transport management, innovation, and railway engineering fields. Currently, it is undergoing a renovation, which includes new equipment allowing for faithful simulation of user behavior in real scenarios. To this end, a driving simulator will incorporate virtual reality technology, enabling responses to researchers’ real-time queries about user behaviors and their variations in response to specific stimuli.
Committed to innovation
We use high-resolution drones and portable video equipment with specialised software to study traffic patterns, count vehicles and analyse trajectories and speeds. Most impressive of all, all this technology is powered by solar energy, taking another step towards sustainability.
The group’s vision is clear: a greener urban future, a future with cleaner, less congested cities and a better quality of life for all. The implementation of their findings has the potential to transform not only our cities, but also our daily lives, improving the efficiency of our travel and reducing our carbon footprint.
SUM+LAB’s dedication extends beyond research and innovation to encompass teaching and training. Its members are part of the Department of Transportation and Technology of Projects and Processes at the University of Cantabria, imparting their knowledge and passion for sustainable mobility to the next generation of engineers. To date, they have supervised 20 doctoral theses.
Our activities focus on four lines of research:
- modelling demand and user behaviour in mobility systems,
- optimisation and design of transport networks and new mobility services,
- intelligent transport system (ITS)
- and mobility dynamics, and railway engineering
Our members have collaborated in more than 100 research projects, including two European Cooperation in Science and Technology actions and four European projects. In addition, it has participated in the publication of several books and more than 80 articles published in journals followed by the Journal Citation, and will continue to conduct workshops, seminars and collaborative projects to foster deeper engagement with sustainable mobility and the creation of SmartCities.
Greetings! My name is Jorge Mato Medrano. Since 2023, I have been serving as the communication manager of the SUM+LAB group in Santander, Cantabria. I relish working in this team since it intersects with technology, a realm I am passionate about and keenly follow daily, and sustainability. Besides my enthusiasm for communication and ICT, I hold a Degree in Audiovisual Communication and two Masters, one in Business and Information Technology and another in 3D Animation and VFX.
