On Thursday, 9 October 2025, the first stakeholder meeting within the European project ICONIC took place at the Municipality of Beltinci. The project is implemented by the Development Agency Sinergija in cooperation with its associated partner, the Municipality of Beltinci. The purpose of the meeting was to present the project, its objectives and partners, and to establish a shared understanding of the starting points for upgrading local policies in the field of sustainable and inclusive mobility.
Representatives of the Development Agency Sinergija introduced the ICONIC project, the roles of individual project partners, and the main thematic focus of cooperation among seven European regions. Special emphasis was placed on the exchange of experiences from the project’s kick-off meeting in Saarbrücken, where partners explored the mobility characteristics of each region and identified several common challenges, particularly in the areas of accessibility, intermodality, and inclusive mobility in both urban and rural environments.
The central part of the discussion focused on the newly adopted Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) of the Municipality of Beltinci, approved by the municipal council in September 2025 and covering the period 2025–2032. Participants discussed the monitoring of mandatory indicators, the role of projects in supporting the implementation of the strategy, and how the ICONIC project can contribute to upgrading measures, especially through the transfer of good practices and systematic stakeholder engagement.
Particular interest was sparked by the German guidelines from the city of Saarbrücken, which provide concrete “instructions” for the planning and design of inclusive bus stops. This example of good practice opened a discussion on the importance of universal accessibility, user-friendly design, and standardized solutions that can significantly improve the user experience of public transport. The meeting confirmed that the ICONIC project in Beltinci has strong foundations and significant potential for transferring European experiences into the local context.
