TUM Leads New DZM Site to Advance Autonomous Public Transit

The Munich site of the German Center for Future Mobility (DZM), led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has opened. The RISE project will test autonomous buses under real-world conditions and lay the groundwork for their safe and scalable deployment in public transit. The goal is to strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty in the field of autonomous mobility. The Federal Ministry of Transport is providing 20 million euros in funding for the project.

Autonomous driving has moved beyond the visionary stage. New mobility systems, value chains, and technological leadership positions are emerging worldwide. Approximately 400 stakeholders from politics, industry, academia, startups, transportation companies, municipalities, and associations discussed how Germany and Europe can become the leading market for autonomous public transportation at the Munich Summit on Autonomous Driving, The summit is organized by a broad alliance comprising TUM, the City of Munich, the Bavarian State Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Transportation, the Munich Cluster for Future MCube, the Alliance for a Mobile Future in Munich & Region (MZM), UnternehmerTUM, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria (IHK München und Oberbayern), Bayern Innovativ, and EIT Urban Mobility.

New site for autonomous mobility

As part of the summit, the Munich project site of the German Center for Future Mobility was officially opened. The Federal Ministry of Transport has approved up to 20 million euros for the RISE consortium project. The funding period runs from October 1^st 2026, to September 30^th 2029.

RISE stands for "Regular Operation, Integration, Scaling, and Development of Automated Mobility Systems in Public Transportation" („Regelbetrieb, Integration, Skalierung und Entwicklung automatisierter Mobilitätssysteme im öffentlichen Verkehr"). Led by TUM, the project aims to lay the scientific, technical, organizational, and regulatory groundwork for transitioning autonomous buses and shuttles to regular operation in the long run. To this end, vehicles, control centers, operational processes, and digital infrastructures will be jointly developed and tested.

In addition to TUM, the core partners include the City of Munich, Stadtwerke München (SWM), Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG), MAN Truck & Bus, the Munich Transport and Fare Association (MVV), the University of the German Armed Forces in Munich, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and UnternehmerTUM.

Establishing Munich as a model region for autonomous driving

Ulrich Lange (Member of the German Bundestag), Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, said: "At the German Center for Future Mobility, the scientific community, industry, and the public sector are working together to develop solutions for the mobility of tomorrow. Munich is making an important contribution to this effort by bringing autonomous driving in public transit closer to regular operation. People in both urban and rural areas should benefit equally from these innovations. That is why we are consistently advancing the development of the DZM and will showcase its research and innovation capabilities as Germany's strong contribution to the Transport Research Arena 2030 in Munich."

Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, President of TUM, said: "The opening of the DZM's Munich site strengthens the position of Germany as a hub for science and innovation. Together with our partners, we are combining key funding initiatives for the future of mobility and translating scientific excellence into concrete applications. As an independent scientific driving force, TUM connects research, industry, and public transportation practice. Following the joint IAA Roundtable 2025 chaired by Minister President Söder, we are pleased to now drive forward the next step in implementation as the host university."

Dominik Krause, Mayor of Munich, said: "Autonomous driving presents a great opportunity to significantly enhance the appeal of our public transit system. With autonomous shuttles and buses, we will be able to connect underserved areas of Munich much better to the public transit network in the future. Autonomous driving is a key building block for the mobility of the future. It is great news that these and other mobility innovations are being developed and put on the road in Munich. With the DZM, we are further strengthening Munich's position as one of Europe's most important high-tech hubs."

Bavaria's Minister of Transportation, Christian Bernreiter, said: "Autonomous mobility is an opportunity for Munich, but also for the entire state. Bavaria is establishing itself as a pioneer in this field across Europe. Autonomous driving is the solution to structural problems and the answer to the driver shortage and the rising funding needs in public transit, as well as in delivery and freight transport. We want to make progress in autonomous driving both in urban and rural regions. Our goal is mobility for everyone! Our joint summit aims to lay the groundwork for an intensive strategic working phase to transfer autonomous driving from technological testing to safe, efficient, and economically viable routine operation throughout Bavaria. I am very confident that we will succeed."

Integrating vehicles, control centers, and operations

The RISE project goes beyond simply developing autonomous vehicles. For autonomous buses and shuttles to be reliably integrated into public transportation, vehicle technology, control centers, infrastructure, and operational processes must work together seamlessly. Therefore, research, industry, and public transit agencies aim to jointly develop these components and test them under real-world conditions. The project initially calls for controlled tests on a closed-off site in Ottobrunn, followed by real-world laboratory operations on two MVG routes.

Dr. Florian Bieberbach, Chairman of the Executive Board of SWM and Managing Director of MVG: "Autonomous mobility can make an important contribution to an efficient, affordable, and attractive public transit system. In addition to developing the appropriate vehicles, we are also focused on integrating them into real-world operations. With RISE, we are pooling expertise from academia, industry, and operational practice at the DZM in Munich to lay the groundwork for the next step in the development of public transit. Our goal is a safe, efficient, and cost-effective public transport system that will continue to meet the needs of our passengers in the future."

Dr. Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research and Development at MAN Truck & Bus, said: "Autonomous driving will take public transportation to a new level of performance and efficiency. RISE is paving the way for this. The project combines safe vehicle technology with the requirements of operators. Germany has a very strong foundation with leading manufacturers, specialized suppliers, and technology-leading small and medium-sized enterprises. We must now work together to translate these capabilities into scalable applications and thereby secure industrial value creation and technological expertise in Europe."

A Munich-based network with nationwide impact

The summit followed up on the IAA Mobility Roundtable 2025 held at the Bavarian State Chancellery. In the Roundtable, representatives from politics, industry, and research had advanced the development of model regions for autonomous driving in local public and freight transportation. Building on this foundation, implementation in the Munich region is now set to be accelerated.

An important foundation is provided by existing collaborations within the Munich Cluster for Future MCube, the Mobile Future Munich & Region (MZM) alliance, and the networks of UnternehmerTUM, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Bayern Innovativ, and other partners.