The Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) participated in Crete’s first island-wide Roadshow, “Show Me the Way”, focusing on Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility. The Roadshow was held from Thursday, 17 September to Tuesday, 22 September 2026 in the Municipalities of Malevizi, Heraklion, Chania, Platanias and Rethymno, as part of European Mobility Week 2026. Under the theme “Mobility for Everyone”, with a particular emphasis on Intergenerational Justice, the initiative combined scientific dialogue with experiential learning and awareness-raising activities on road safety and sustainable mobility.
Representing the Hellenic Mediterranean University in the scientific programme were Assistant Professor Nikos Spanoudakis, from the Department of Electronic Engineering of HMU’s School of Engineering, and Associate Professor Maria Papadakaki, from the Department of Social Work of HMU’s School of Health Sciences and Director of the LaHeRS Sustainable Mobility Laboratory. Both contributed to the discussion on contemporary challenges related to smart and sustainable mobility. It is also worth noting that the Heraklion stop of the Roadshow was hosted at the premises of the School of Health Sciences of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, in Building K45.
For the first time, five urban centres in Crete joined forces in a common initiative combining public information and experiential education, with the central message that safe and sustainable mobility is everyone’s responsibility. The Roadshow was officially included in the European Commission’s programme of activities for European Mobility Week and in #MobilityAction.
A strong network of partnerships
The initiative was organised by EMSA – Education in Urban Mobility & Road Safety, with the aim of developing and implementing educational programmes on traffic education and road safety for children, adults and older people. As a member of the European Commission’s European Road Safety Charter since 2023, EMSA combines scientific knowledge with experiential learning and virtual reality technologies.
The Roadshow was co-organised by Envisions Hub, which was responsible for Project Management throughout the initiative, coordinating the five stops, the speakers and the equipment requirements.
Cooperation with the Region of Crete, as well as with the Municipalities of Malevizi, Heraklion, Chania, Platanias and Rethymno, played a key role, as they co-organised the individual stops and actively participated in the activities.
Scientific support for the initiative was provided by the Hellenic Mediterranean University and the Technical University of Crete, strengthening the scientific and academic content of the Roadshow. The contribution of the General Regional Police Directorate of Crete and EKAB Crete was also significant.
Scientific dialogue on the cities of tomorrow and road safety
During the first panel discussion, entitled “The Cities of Tomorrow: Smart Cities”, representatives of Local Government, the academic community and professionals from different scientific fields discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with the development of sustainable and “smart” cities.
HMU was represented by Associate Professor Maria Papadakaki, Professor Georgios Markakis and Assistant Professor Nikolaos Spanoudakis, while the Technical University of Crete was represented by Professor Georgios Chalkiadakis.
The discussion focused, among other issues, on sustainable mobility, the application of new technologies and Artificial Intelligence in modern cities, the design of public spaces, transport, and the institutional challenges associated with new forms of urban mobility.
During the second panel, “Road Safety Today”, representatives of the Traffic Police, EKAB and the medical community highlighted different aspects of preventing and responding to road traffic incidents, as well as their serious social and human consequences.
Experiential learning and virtual reality
Approximately 1,000 spectators attended the Roadshow events in total, while more than 500 children and adults participated in the experiential workshops held across the five Municipalities.
Through eight experiential stations, simulations and virtual reality applications, participants were able to understand in practice the consequences of inattention on the road, the importance of wearing a seat belt and the need to adopt responsible driving and road-use behaviour.
A central message throughout the Roadshow was that adults serve as role models for the next generation and that changing attitudes and behaviour is a fundamental prerequisite for improving road safety.
