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A Strategic Imperative for Europe’s Future
Transport is a pillar of mobility in our society. It moves people and goods, connects continents as well as urban and rural regions, links cultures, enables access to jobs and services and underpins economic growth. As its role expands, transport is increasingly shaping whether Europe can deliver on its climate, digital and social ambitions. Yet, despite this growing strategic importance, the sector has for too long been shaped by a narrow set of perspectives. Diversity has often been treated as a “nice to have”, rather than recognised as a strategic asset essential to meeting these ambitions.
Across Europe and beyond, transport is experiencing a fundamental transformation, driven by digitalisation, automation, climate neutrality targets, demographic change and labour shortages. These shifts are redefining how transport is designed, governed and experienced. Challenges that are complex, systemic and deeply human. They cannot be accurately addressed by homogenous decision-making.
Despite growing awareness, transport remains one of the least diverse sectors in Europe in terms of gender diversity. Women represent only around 22% of the transport workforce, despite making up more than half of the EU population. Representation further declines at senior and technical levels. The sector is also struggling with an ageing workforce and severe labour shortages across multiple modes.
Furthermore, young people often report limited visibility of career pathways into transport and perceive the sector as conservative, rigid or misaligned with their values. Meanwhile, older professionals are navigating rapid technological change and skills transformation. Voices from different socio-economic backgrounds, regions and lived experiences are still underrepresented in decision-making. These gaps matter because transport decisions shape access to jobs, services and participation in society.
Moreover, transport faces growing skills shortages amid rising competition for talent. By 2030, younger generations will dominate the workforce, and many job seekers now prioritise diversity and inclusion. At the same time, the sector is rapidly shifting towards connectivity, automation and digital technologies, moving from hardware to software, data and AI, skills that are scarce in Europe and largely male dominated. To stay attractive, future-oriented and credible, transport must show it is inclusive, open and ready to evolve.
I entered the transport sector at the age of 28. In many meetings, I was the only woman in the room and often the youngest. At first, that reality was surprising. Over time, it became formative.
Finding myself in such situations, heightened my awareness of whose voices were heard, whose experiences were missing and how decisions were framed. It made me reflect on who sets the agenda, which assumptions go unchallenged and how power dynamics shape outcomes. I came to understand that diversity is not only about who is present, but about who feels empowered to speak, influence and lead.
These early experiences shaped my long-term commitment to diversity in transport as a structural issue that affects innovation, talent retention and public trust. They strengthened my belief that progress requires both individual leadership and systemic change.
At ERTICO, diversity is embedded in how we approach partnership, advocacy and innovation. As a public-private partnership bringing together stakeholders from industry, public authorities, research sector and users, we see every day how collaboration thrives when different perspectives come together. Compared to many other organisations in the EU policy bubble, ERTICO benefits from a higher level of gender diversity within its association environment, which enriches our dialogue, collaboration and the quality of our outcomes.
In March this year, we took an important step forward with the launch of Gender Equality Plus (GEP+). The “Plus” is intentional. While gender equality remains a core focus, GEP+ recognises that diversity is multi-dimensional. It encompasses age, background, career stage, discipline and lived experience.
The initiative seeks to drive meaningful change while promoting balanced representation across ERTICO activities and expert groups, supporting more inclusive leadership and governance practices, creating safe spaces for dialogue, mentoring and visible role models and equipping organisation with practical tools that help translate commitments into concrete action.
At European level, the #DiversityInTransport initiative led by the European Commission (DG MOVE) plays an important role in aligning action across the ecosystem. Through the Network of Ambassadors for #DiversityInTransport, it mobilises individuals and organisations to raise awareness, advocate for inclusive policies, share good practices and give voice to underrepresented groups.
Last year, I joined this initiative to help amplify its collective effort and impact. It reflects my belief that no single organisation (and no individual), can drive systemic change alone. Real progress happens when policy frameworks, funding instruments, leadership and organisational culture move in the same direction. European-level initiatives play a critical role in this process, translating shared values into clear expectations and transforming those expectations into measurable action.
Diversity is also about age and generation. Young professionals and students repeatedly highlight barriers to entry into the sector with limited visibility of career pathways, rigid organisational cultures and a perception that decision-making is disconnected from societal and environmental priorities. At the same time, they bring invaluable assets, such as digital fluency, systems thinking and a strong sense of purpose.
I will be promoting this in New York, speaking at the United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum, addressing the challenges young people face in transport across Europe and calling for action from governments. If transport is serious about long-term transformation, youth must be included as active contributors.
It calls for opening governance structures, investing in mentoring and nurturing meaningful intergenerational dialogue, because bringing generations together leads to wiser decisions and more sustainable outcomes.
The transport sector does not lack talent. What it lacks, at times, are structures that recognise, attract and retain that talent in all its diversity.
Moving forward, diversity must be treated as a strategic enabler that is integrated into workforce planning, innovation programmes and governance models. That also means genuinely listening to voices that have historically been at the margins.
Diversity in transport lights the way toward a more human future of mobility. When our systems reflect society and our leadership embraces difference, we do more than move people, we move communities, Europe and the whole world forward and build resilience into every journey.
That is a journey worth committing to, together.
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