Leonardo Conte

Il - He/him

Nationality: Italian

EPFL ENAC IA LASUR
BP 2242 (Bâtiment BP)
Station 16
1015 Lausanne

Expertise

  • Behaviour change
  • Consumer culture
  • Mixed methods
  • Mode choice and modal shift
  • Long-distance mobility
  • Rail supply shocks
  • Fare-free public transport
  • Urban densification

Mission

  • Investigate socio-spatial inequalities in long-distance mobility
  • Analyse mobility practices within ecological transition processes
  • Foster modal shift towards low-carbon transport modes

Current Work

  • Behavioural and socio-economic effects of fare-free public transport (FFPT) 
  • Impact evaluation of rail transit supply shocks on modal shift
  • Socio-spatial inequalities of long-distance mobility
  • Urban densification policies' acceptability
Leonardo Conte is postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Urban Sociology (LaSUR) at EPFL in Lausanne. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Fribourg, where he worked on economic methodology, following several years of research at the Università della Svizzera italiana on consumer behaviour. His current research focuses on travel behaviour, with a particular emphasis on modal shift, fare-free public transportation, and long-distance mobility. He uses a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative tools, to analyse changes in individual habits, consumer culture, and their implications for the ecological transition. A former adjunct professor of economics at Franklin University Switzerland, he co-founded Rethinking Economics Switzerland and is currently a member of the Swiss Donut Economics Network. He has further collaborated with the Italian Institute for the Future, the Swiss Institute for Alternative Thinking, and the Harvard Policy and Institutional Research Project.

Professionals experiences

Research Assistant

  • Authored scientific articles on technology and sustainability
  • Structured research ideas and managed publication processes
  • Produced business reports and edited public presentations

Adjunct Professor

  • Designed and taught graduate courses on climate economics
  • Organised and led academic travels with undergraduates
  • Collaborated with faculty members and attended seminars

Teaching and Research Assistant

  • Lectured courses in marketing and consumer behaviour
  • Pursued scientific research in behavioural economics
  • Represented the intermediate body at the academic senate

Junior Research Fellow

  • Collected and analysed data on comparative public policy
  • Produced reports on changes in the Italian education system
  • Collaborated with international teams of junior researchers

Education

Economics

| Economic and Social Sciences

2019 – 2024 Université de Fribourg
Directed by Sergio Rossi

Economics

| Economics and International Policies

2016 – 2017 Università della Svizzera italiana
Directed by Alvaro Cencini

Economics

| Economics, Organizations and Markets

2011 – 2014 Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Directed by Daniela Parisi

Publications non-EPFL

Research

Current Research Fields

Modal choice and modal shift; Transport behaviour; Fare-free public transportation (FFPT); Rhythms of life.