In a captivating rendezvous of visionaries and innovators, the Kick-off meeting of the GINEVRA project – Governance of transformative innovation in Central European cities: the AV case, unfolded, casting a spotlight on the thrilling journey into the realm of transformative innovations. Held on 13 & 14 June, 2023, in Bialystok (Poland), this project meeting emerged as the cornerstone for understanding the GINEVRA approach and workplan.