SYNCHROMODE uses gamification to elicit multimodal transport requirements

SYNCHROMODE is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative aiming to build a data-driven ICT toolbox for improving multimodal transport management. As a complex decision support system composed of interconnected software pieces, its success hinges on a rigorous requirement elicitation phase — the foundational step that defines system needs and expectations. The project's recent arXiv paper (arXiv:2605.26164) details how the team combined traditional use-case analysis with an original gamification approach to gather requirements for the toolbox's core services.

To validate the gamified method, the researchers designed and developed a serious game that was presented in person during a physical workshop in Thessaloniki in October 2023. The diverse stakeholder group included experts in traffic management, public transport authorities, MaaS providers, first responders, ITS technology providers, and local authorities. The paper summarizes both elicitation processes and provides a comparative analysis of the requirements generated through traditional means versus gamification, offering insights into how play-based approaches can uncover more nuanced or overlooked system needs in large-scale infrastructure projects.