Prof. Dr. Marijana Petrović
University of Belgrade-Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (full professor),
Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (senior researcher),
Belgrade, Serbia

Prof. Dr. Marijana Petrović
University of Belgrade-Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering (full professor),
Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (senior researcher),
Belgrade, Serbia

Extended Abstract: The deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is central to advancing smart and sustainable urban mobility, yet cities and regions across Europe face persistent challenges in aligning technological readiness with planning capacity and user needs. This plenary lecture presents a participatory methodology for technology gap assessment, developed and applied within the SMARTMOBAIR project across six diverse pilot territories in the Adriatic-Ionian region, including the City of Niš.
The methodology builds on self-assessment principles and is operationalized through a Gap Analysis Tool that evaluates maturity across five thematic domains: technical readiness, interoperability, scalability, sustainability impact, and user acceptance. Each dimension is linked to Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) identified as critical for ITS deployment. The assessment was implemented in cooperation with local Stakeholder Working Groups, ensuring that results reflect both technical conditions and contextual realities.
Findings show a heterogeneous readiness landscape. Strengths are observed in mobility data collection, real-time passenger information, and digital public transport services, which are widely deployed and in some cases optimized. At the same time, gaps remain in advanced solutions for adaptive traffic management, integrated fare collection, urban space regulation, and user engagement. These disparities underscore the importance of capacity-building and iterative learning for systemic advancement of smart mobility.
By synthesizing insights across six pilot territories, the approach identifies shared priorities while respecting local diversity. The participatory methodology proves valuable not only as a diagnostic instrument but also as a facilitator of structured dialogue, fostering institutional cooperation and shared ownership of mobility strategies.

Biography: Prof. Dr Marijana Petrović is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, where she has been employed since 2004. She completed her undergraduate studies in 2003 under the integrated five-year programme, graduating as the best-performing student of her cohort. She defended her postgraduate thesis in 2007 and her doctoral dissertation in 2011, both in the field of transport and traffic economics and marketing, with a focus on modelling and the development of analytical tools for digital transformation, particularly indicators, evaluation systems, and performance-monitoring mechanisms.

She teaches at all levels of study and has also served as a guest professor in the Multidisciplinary Master Studies at the University of Belgrade and at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Niš. She is the author of two university textbooks, one scientific monograph, and more than 100 scientific papers, including publications in leading international journals such as Omega, Decision Support Systems, Government Information Quarterly, Ecological Indicators, Applied Mathematical Modelling, and IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

She has participated in the implementation of more than 20 projects, including those funded under Horizon Europe, Interreg, ERASMUS+, and the IDEAS programme of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. She collaborates with numerous regional and international organisations, including UNDP, ITU, REC, the Transport Community, the EBRD, the IEEE ITSS and others. She has extensive experience working on complex, interdisciplinary research and development projects that require the integration of diverse professional and scientific perspectives and the active engagement of relevant stakeholders in processes of analysis, consultation, and decision-making.

She is active as a member of working bodies and initiatives within the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, the regional CIVINET network, and other platforms that support local governments in developing smart and sustainable urban mobility.

Her scientific and professional interests include the development of engineering-management-based models for performance evaluation, decision support, and policy formulation in the fields of transport, mobility, and telecommunications. A particular focus of her work is on sustainable mobility, the digital economy, and societal transformation through the application of analytical tools in public-policy design.