Transforming Future Mobility: Innovations in Technology for Smart, Sustainable, Efficient Transportation – Insights from KEYSTONE Project

The transportation and logistics sectors are undergoing digital transformation, with emerging technologies shaping the future of mobility. Cross-border e-government initiatives will increasingly focus on reliable interoperability for the identification and authentication of truck drivers and logistics operators involved in freight operations, enabling authorities to seamlessly verify the legitimacy of goods, vehicles, and personnel during border crossings. This integration will streamline border control processes, enhance security, and reduce delays, fostering smoother and more efficient international trade within the EU. Building on insights from stakeholder surveys, focus groups, roundtable discussions, and 13 semi-structured interviews conducted within the KEYSTONE project, this paper identifies the data needs, requirements, and concerns of key stakeholders in the logistics sector to enable data interoperability. It emphasizes the critical role of seamless information exchange in optimizing cross-border logistics operations and enhancing regulatory compliance within the framework of the KEYSTONE project. Furthermore, we investigated current interoperability solutions, such as the EU's RESPER, eFTI, ERRU framework and TACHOnet platform, and proposed an approach for scoping the requirements needed to achieve a fully interoperable system across the EU. Our findings indicate that interoperability within the EU is crucial for expanding the scope of e-government and enhancing the smooth authentication and verification of identities for inclusive future mobility.