Article Gold Open Access 2025

Smart Mobility Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development: A Review and Case Study

Sustainability (Switzerland)
Journal · Vol. 17 · Issue 17 · Art. 7999
Abstract

Smart mobility has emerged as a transformative enabler for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering technological and systemic solutions to pressing urban challenges such as congestion, environmental degradation, accessibility, and economic inclusion. Realizing this potential, however, depends not only on technological maturity but also on robust education and capacity-building frameworks. This paper addresses two critical gaps: the absence of a systematic review of structured academic curricula, vocational training programs, and professional development pathways dedicated to smart mobility, and the lack of a formal approach to demonstrate how structured, research-oriented education can effectively bridge theory and practice. The review examines a wide spectrum of initiatives, including academic programs, industry training, challenge-based competitions, and community-driven platforms. The analysis shows significant progress in Europe and North America but also reveals important gaps, particularly the limited availability of structured initiatives in the Global South, the underrepresentation of accessibility and inclusivity, and the insufficient integration of governance, ethical AI, policy, and cybersecurity. A case study of the AI for Smart Mobility course, developed using a design science methodology, illustrates how research-oriented education can be operationalized in practice. Since 2020, the course has engaged hundreds of students and professionals, with project dissemination through the AI4SM Medium hub attracting more than 20,000 views and 11,000 reads worldwide. The findings highlight both the progress made and the persistent gaps in smart mobility education, underscoring the need for wider geographic reach, stronger emphasis on inclusivity and governance, and structured approaches that effectively link theory with practice. © 2025 by the author.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Artificial intelligence Sustainable development goals design science smart mobility

Index Keywords

training artificial intelligence education Sustainable Development Goal United Nations Design North America accessibility Europe
Author Affiliations
AI for Smart Mobility Lab, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Ash Sharqiyah, Saudi Arabia
Funding & Acknowledgements
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM
Grant: ECR241-ISE-301
This work was supported by Deanship of Research (DOR) at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) under Grant ECR241-ISE-301: Agentic AI-Based Framework for Seamless Integrated Mobility.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KFUPM
This work was supported by Deanship of Research (DOR) at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) under Grant ECR241-ISE-301: Agentic AI-Based Framework for Seamless Integrated Mobility.
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