Dr Patrizia Franco is Lead Demand Modeller at the Connected Places Catapult with nearly two decades of professional experience in Transportation Engineering, planning, and modelling, and travel behaviour using emerging data sources.

Former Research Associate at Newcastle University, since she joined the Catapult in 2015, she led several CR&D and commercial projects for establishing new mobility concepts in urban and rural areas. Over the last five years, she has overseen a diverse range of projects for the Department for Transport, pioneering methodologies for large-scale Demand agent-based modelling and activity-based modelling using mobile phone network data to explore emerging mobility trends. Additionally, she has played a pivotal role in prioritizing decarbonisation pathways for transport systems through modelling the phased adoption of electrification and alternative fuels (Hydrogen), as well as implementing travel demand management measures for National Highways.

She's currently working on the Innovate UK Pulse Programme, exploring the evolving dynamics of land use, intermodality, and alternative energy source. This involves harnessing data insights from port emissions and carbon accounting tools to envision potential transition scenarios for the future.