Thematic Tracks

There has never been a bigger emphasis on ‘going green’ than there is right now. An increasing number of people and businesses understand that we need to sustainably manage our planet’s resources and ecosystems. This includes the most established companies in vital sectors of the economy – like the automotive industry. When it comes to their impact on the environment, car manufacturers have long been perceived as the ‘bad guys’ – making products that are among the main sources of air pollution. Over the last few years that image has been steadily changing. There’s no question that the entire automotive industry is trying hard to find an environmentally-friendly alternative to the petrol-powered engine. That’s where electric cars and the need for e- mobility services come in. Also, let’s not forget hydrogen – hydrogen-powered vehicles are also already a reality. They aren’t being talked about as much, but they are an essential part of the conversation. Can hydrogen and electric vehicles function side-by-side or do we have to choose between one or the other? What are the advantages of each? Is there a third way? All of these important questions will be discussed as part of this thematic track.

• New technologies translate into new job opportunities – especially for talented people with cross-industry (Tech/IT/Automotive) skills.
• Cross-boarder cooperation is vital – that’s why it’s so important to come up with a unified set of tech standards and establish regulations that allow companies from different industries and countries to work together freely.
• Let’s not forget oil – petrol-powered cars aren’t going to disappear overnight. How do we effectively manage the transition?
• It’s not (just) about better air quality. The evolution of e-mobility has lead to the development of smart power grids – a more efficient way of delivering energy to electric vehicles and much more.

• Work in the automotive or related industry (i.e. OEMs),
• Provide tech/IT/ solutions that can potentially be used to impact mobility,
• Operate a fleet of vehicles
• Represent an EU body or government at the national/local level

The traffic congestion, the noise, the pollution – getting around cities is becoming more than just a problem, it’s becoming life-threatening! That’s not to mention the fact that this inefficiency is damn expensive – costing the EU’s cities 100 billion euro per year. To put that number into perspective – it’s 1% of total EU GDP! What can we do ?! Well, there’s no one right answer to that question. Each city has its own unique set of problems. There are however, some universal truths. First, it’s good to keep in mind that 55% of people in the world are now living in cities. This means that from energy dependency and climate change to economic development – whatever the problem, cities are an important part of the solution. People that live and work in a given city know it best. That’s why getting residents and local authorities involved in the creation of any policy that affects them is so important.

Keeping this in mind, in 2009, the European Commission adopted the Action Plan on Urban Mobility. The basic assumption of this initiative was simple – encourage local, regional and national governments to work together and find the best possible Sustainable Urban Mobility solutions. What’s encouraging is that the Action Plan on Urban Mobility seems to have been a successful catalyst. Plans regarding various aspects of urban mobility – from road safety and traffic to freight and city access – have started popping up like mushrooms after the rain!

• Smart city planning and commuting
• Green (zero-emission) public transportation
• Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), autonomous buses
• Other ways of getting around: ride-haling, ride-sharing, bike-sharing
• Connecting the smart city to the suburbs – getting there and back
• Unified ticketing and payment systems
• Traffic management & safety
• The role of Big Data
• Legal issues related to the future of urban mobility

• Work for a company that provides public transportation (or any complimentary service i.e. payments)
• Are a city planner
• Operate a fleet of vehicles used for urban mobility (ride-haling, bike-sharing, logistics)
• Represent national and/or local government or an NGO
• Are a concerned city resident who wants to get involved

It’s difficult to imagine a city of happy and healthy citizens without logistic services. From basic necessities like food and water, to the delivery of important legal documents or the latest fashion to your favorite store… everything revolves around logistics. At the same time, it’s important to remember that the vehicles used to transport goods to and from cities don’t only bring good things. Without the help of the latest technology, these fleets can bring with them tremendous amounts of pollution and noise. They can also, rather ironically, have a negative effect on the very thing they are meant to help with – the flow of goods in a city. The question, therefore, centers around a balancing act – how do provide freight and logistic services that drive economic activity in a sustainable way? How do we get goods into, out of and around cities in a safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly way? The first step is cooperation – between local authorities and business. Making sure that each of these stakeholders is on ‘the same page’ – working together to maximize economic activity while minimizing environmental impact. Developing policies that encourage a sustainable attitude in relation to logistic services and freight transportation is one of the most significant challenges faced by cities as they plan for the future! Let’s not forget that a major part of the problem is coming from inside the city itself. An ever-growing population means the need for more of everything – from food to fashion accessories. Developing a network that is ready for this increase in demand isn’t going to be easy. Our cities are going to get bigger…much bigger! Innovative technologies like autonomous vehicles can help, but they are only part of an ecosystem – one that’s going to require building awareness among citizens and tremendous investments in infrastructure. What needs to change and who needs to do what? This thematic track explores some of the possible answers to those questions.

• Optimizing use and management of infrastructure
• Traffic management, parking management, loading and unloading
• Road access
• Long-distance networks, vehicle platooning, charging
• Smart urban freight, urban freight, business models

• Work in the automotive industry (particularly as an OEM or TIER 1 supplier)
• Provide tech/IT solutions that can potentially be used to impact mobility
• Represent an EU body, national or local government
• Operate a fleet

This Impact mobility rEVolution’18 thematic track is split into two separate sections:

1. The evolution of business models in the transportation industry – with a special focus on Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) puts users at the core of transportation services, offering them tailor-made mobility solutions based on their individual needs – thanks to the integration of various transportation-related amenities into a single service. Digitally-enabled car-sharing and ride-hailing will allow users to get around seamlessly and effortlessly – selecting the optimal method of transportation (i.e. taxi, public transportation or a bike share) and route for their office commute or weekend getaway. It’s environmentally-friendly and can be paid
for at the touch of a single button. This is the smartest possible way to travel and more! MaaS isn’t only about getting you where you want to go, it’s also about saving you a trip! Shopping for food, ordering take-out and other day-to-day activities will become simpler than ever before. The best part? It’s already here! Whim, the world’s first ever MaaS solution, was launched in Helsinki toward the end of 2016. Since that time interest in MaaS has been steadily increasing – with new projects appearing in more and more places worldwide.

Key point: Imagine if getting around your city was as simple as using Netflix! Just click and go! That sounds like an awesome way to travel. Could MaaS make it a reality?

2. Air taxis, flying cars, manned drones and other new methods of transportation

There’s no doubt that autonomous vehicles are going to disrupt the transportation industry in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine, but that’s just one of the innovations about to go live! The fancy name for this next one is Personal Airborne Transport (PAT), but they are
more commonly called flying cars. Leading the way in this ‘race’ is Dubai – the country’s Transportation Authority has actually already conducted tests of drone-based flying taxis. These cabs, which are made by the Chinese company Ehang, are expected to ‘hit the sky’ in
2018. Also interested in entering this market are Airbus, which has already begun working on a protype, and Uber – the latter has said that it would like to offer its customers the ability to hale a flying car within the next 10 years.

• So, how close are we, really, to seeing flying cars in our skies on a day-to-day basis?!
• How will they compliment and/or replace other methods of transportation?
• How does the hyperloop fit into this evolving ecosystem?This is where you’ll find answers to those questions and so much more!

• Work in the automotive (or related) industry,
• Have or are working on game-changing innovations in mobility,
• Provide tech/IT solutions that can potentially be used to impact mobility,
• Are a startup, VC, technology provider, university spin-off or young researcher.

If we’re going to effectively fight climate change, we definitely need better technology. We’ll always need to produce energy, feed ourselves, move around and heat our homes, but the way we do all of these things needs to change. Reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, moving away from oil, gas and coal, is essential. How do we manage the transition and who’s going to pay for it?

Let’s start with an encouraging number – 1% of annual global income. That’s how much it would take, given the current state of technology, to control the effects of climate change. There are already lots of reasons to get excited! For starters, new generations of electric vehicles, can have a major impact. Think about it! They are a zero-emissions alternative that can potentially use nuclear power and/or a wide range of sustainable energy sources like the sun or wind. That means they can potentially feed the power grid that’s charging their batteries. Those same energy sources can also be used to split water and produce hydrogen. Battery capacity is another major issue, but not in the way you may think. A bigger battery lets you go further before having to recharge, but that’s not all. Electric vehicles can do more than take power from a smart power grid, they can also give it back! When parked, an electric vehicle (or fleet) can potentially swap roles with the grid – becoming a supplier of energy. This means that, in the future, we could potentially move away from the notion of users and suppliers towards a self-sustaining ecosystem. That’s just one of the technologies that’s already in the pipeline….a building block in a major shift that’s waiting to happen!

In a city of the future there will be automated, energy-efficient, intelligent superfast transportation networks capable of generating energy and charging vehicles as they travel. How far away is that future? Well, it’s going to take some time to develop the appropriate infrastructure. There are other critical questions too – like who’s going to pay for this revolution?! The road to managing the transition from traditional gas is long, winding and tricky. There a lot of important issues to discuss and questions to answer. What is clear is that zero-emissions public and private transportation powered by alternative fuels is one of the keys to a more efficient and environmentally-friendly society! How do we make that trip as quickly and as seamlessly as possible? This thematic track is here to help you figure that out!

• Smart city planning and commuting
• Energy storage systems
• CO2 – what to do? Increasing awareness, changing behavior.
• Sustainable urban mobility
• Air quality, traffic, noise

• Work as a public official (especially a local government representative)
• Are a city planner
• Work in the energy industry

There’s no doubt that sustainability should be taken seriously. Not only is providing environmentally sustainable solutions a social duty – it’s also a terrific business opportunity. What’s more, it opens the door to a new breed of public-private partnerships. In this case, however, the opportunity is also a potential threat. Getting the profit-oriented goals of private companies to align with a public sector, that must place the long-term wellbeing of society above all else, isn’t always simple. Another important potential source of funding involves residents of specific cities helping themselves – through crowdfunding, incremental tax financing or green revolving funds. It is, however, important to remember just how expensive upgrading a city’s infrastructure can be and exactly how much money we need if we want to handle the growth of population in cities seamlessly (or, in other words, if we want to keep living the way we’re living today!). A McKinsey report estimates that a total of $49 trillion will have to be invested in sustainable infrastructure projects worldwide between 2016 and 2030. That’s a lot of money and it has to come from somewhere – or, more specifically from everywhere! Private citizens and investors, public funds at the local, regional and national level – everyone has to chip in. Preferably by joining forces.

The companies that are selling the innovative technology required for infrastructural upgrades are another very important part of the puzzle. If they are able to realize the value of funding projects that serve a greater good and get involved in carrying out the projects as opposed to treating them like any other business deal – that’s certainly more than one step in the right direction. This approach opens the door to preferential financing that, many times, is the difference between making or breaking a project. There are already several great examples of just how effective this approach can be. In Zhongtong, China, a financing solution, provided by SFS, enabled the local state-run bus company to purchase over 100 hybrid buses and 20 electric buses. In Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, a subway line is being built – this thanks to “teamwork” between several banks and Siemens AG. The key to these joint projects? Let every partnering institution do what it does best. This thematic track explores the challenges related to financing the sustainable solutions essential to building a true city of the future.

• Sustainable solutions that can help us deal with the increasing population in cities already exist – but putting in place an infrastructure that can handle them is expensive and can’t happen overnight.
• Who is going to pay for the sustainable solutions that cities need? What business opportunities will the implementation of those solutions create?
• How can society, as a whole, get involved in creating more efficient, sustainable, long-term transportation solutions for the future?

• Represent government at a national or local level (especially, if you are in charge of public transportation in your city or region)
• Represent a company offering innovative, sustainable solutions for cities
• Represent a development fund or VC
• Have projects and/or startup that needs funding