On 1 September, researchers and transport professionals met in Kraków at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science for Research Meets Practice — a satellite workshop of the EWGT 2026 Annual Conference. As we take a moment to look back on the event, we are pleased to share some highlights from the inspiring discussions and exchange of ideas that took place. The central part of the event organised by Jagiellonian University and Centralny Port Komunikacyjny was the opportunity to exchange experience and engage in the discussion at 3 international roundtables🌍

🔹 Optimisation, Capacity Management and Mathematical Models Experts including Prof. Michael Hewitt (Loyola University Chicago) and Prof. Norman Weik (Technical University of Munich) discussed model calibration and uncertainty, open-source modelling, AI and machine learning, capacity constraints, and ways to prioritise major infrastructure investments.

🔹 Transport Economics, Tariffs and Financial Analysis Participants, including Prof. Alejandro Tirachini (Technische Universität Braunschweig) and Prof. Michał Wolański (SGH Warsaw School of Economics), explored complex fare systems, passenger sensitivity to prices, operator competition, revenue management and the role of early-warning indicators in identifying financial risks.

🔹 Travel Behaviour, Preferences and Passenger Factors With experts including Prof. Achille Fonzone (Edinburgh Napier University), the discussion focused on modern data sources used in analytical tools Passenger Transport Model and Freight Transport Model, developed within Centrum Transportu i Mobilności Port Polska.

We looked at the potential of Big Data, including mobile phone mobility data, GPS applications and payment card data, as well as its limitations and the additional information needed to accurately understand real travel patterns.

Designing a nationwide multimodal transport network is not a task with ready-made answers. It takes reliable data, robust models, practical experience and continuous exchange between researchers and practitioners. This is where research truly meets practice — and where better transport decisions begin.

The meeting was initiated and developed by Rafal Kucharski and Arek Drabicki 🤝