MILA Kick-off in Berlin
The MILA.mobility collaborative research project has officially launched. 30 partners are developing open, manufacturer-neutral middleware that connects autonomous vehicles with the control center, dispatching, and booking systems of public transport operators. INYO Mobility is contributing two INYO CABs as development and test platforms. The German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is funding the project with approximately €33.8 million.
The project partners gathered in Berlin on September 21, 2026, for the official project launch, hosted by MOTOR Ai. On the rooftop terrace, Dr. Alexandra-Gwyn Paetz, Head of the Technological Sovereignty and Innovation Department at the BMFTR, presented the funding approval certificates. Rauno Fuchs, our CBO, accepted the certificate on behalf of INYO Mobility.
MILA stands for “Middleware Integration of Control Center and Dispatching Systems for Autonomous Mobility.” Its goal is to establish an open, non-discriminatory system architecture for autonomous vehicles in public transport. The middleware serves as a shared control and communication layer, connecting vehicles from different manufacturers with ITCS control centers, on-demand platforms, and booking systems. The project runs for 44 months, until March 2030, with a total budget of approximately €57 million. Development takes place in three cycles: first in a virtual laboratory, followed by five test areas in Leipzig, the Hanover region, the Munich region, Ludwigslust-Parchim, and the Rhine-Main region.
Our role: We are providing two INYO CABs as real-world development and test platforms. We are responsible for integrating the middleware on the vehicle side in an environment involving vehicles and systems from multiple manufacturers. This means the middleware connectors are being developed on actual vehicles from the outset, rather than exclusively in simulations. Within the consortium, the INYO CAB is the only vehicle in the small, four-seat L7e light vehicle segment. It is designed for on-demand services covering first- and last-mile transportation.
Our CABs are being deployed in two test areas. In Leipzig, coordinated by Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB), the focus is on validating the middleware in cross-manufacturer testing. In the Munich region, coordinated by MVV, the CAB will be connected to the dispatching system and the MVV customer app. A passenger service trial lasting at least four weeks is planned there. The vehicles will operate at Level 4 autonomy with a safety driver under a trial permit issued in accordance with the German Autonomous Vehicles Approval and Operation Ordinance (AFGBV).
“Autonomous vehicles will only become part of regular public transport operations if they can be integrated into existing transport operator systems without requiring bespoke solutions. That is exactly what we are working to achieve with MILA, with the INYO CAB operating in real-world conditions in Leipzig and the Munich region.”
— Rauno Fuchs, Chief Business Officer, INYO Mobility
The results will feed directly into the series development of the INYO CAB. Proven interoperability reduces integration efforts for public transport operators. It is a key prerequisite for scaling autonomous shuttles in public transport.
We will keep you updated on our progress in Leipzig and Munich!
Project Partners (in alphabetical order)
ADASTEC GmbH · DB Regio Bus Mitte GmbH · Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. · ebblo Germany GmbH · Eckardt Software Management ESM GmbH · Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e. V. · FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik · Hamburger Hochbahn AG · HOLON GmbH · INIT Innovative Informatikanwendungen in Transport-, Verkehrs- und Leitsystemen GmbH · Institut für Klimaschutz, Energie und Mobilität – Recht, Ökonomie und Politik e. V. · Interlink GmbH · INYO Mobility GmbH · IVU Traffic Technologies AG · Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (Verbundkoordinator) · MENTZ GmbH · MOIA GmbH · MOTOR Ai GmbH · Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund GmbH · P3 digital services GmbH · Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen · Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau · Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund GmbH · Stadt Leipzig · Technische Universität Dresden · Technische Universität München · ÜSTRA Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG · Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen e. V. · Verkehrsgesellschaft Ludwigslust-Parchim mbH · Via Mobility DE GmbH
