From 18 to 20 October, some of Europe’s most influential leaders, policy makers and innovators in the field of mobility gathered in Paris at the annual Autonomy event on urban mobility to discuss solutions that will change the way we move in cities.
The summit was a great occasion for ERTICO to present its work on urban mobility such as its Mobility as a Service (MaaS) initiative and to engage in a constructive exchange of views and know-how with representatives from both the private and public sectors, working together to advance smart mobility solutions for tomorrow’s journey.
Jacob Bangsgaard, as ERTICO’s CEO and President of ERTICO’s Platform MaaS Alliance, and Piia Karjalainen, ERTICO’s Senior Manager responsible for the MaaS Alliance Platform, spoke about the need to create and support an open ecosystem for Mobility as a Service, which will allow the integration of various forms of transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand.
“There is no winner takes it all”, said Mr Bangsgaard. “It is important to strengthen the collaboration between the public and private sectors and to create coordinated activities when it comes to the development of MaaS. A successful MaaS service not only meets travellers’ mobility needs and solves the inconvenient parts of individual journeys, but also brings new business models and services to complement and integrate the existing offerings. ” Mr Bangsgaard also stressed the fact that “MaaS is not so much about getting rid of the car, but more about having access to one when you need it, together with the other modes of transport.”
With almost sixty international members, the MaaS Alliance has come a long way since it was founded in 2015. A rapid evolution and increase in public interest in Mobility as a Service is the proof that users are shifting from ownership towards access and on-demand transport services in urban transport.
The summit was also a good opportunity for ERTICO to continue the work carried out with representatives of the European Institutions, such as MEP Karima Delli, with whom ERTICO will collaborate when it comes to supporting start-ups, which are an important piece of the smart mobility puzzle. This event gave an opportunity to experience the latest trends on urban mobility, especially micromobility solutions, and ERTICO Partners Toyota, Qualcomm and TomTom used this opportunity to demonstrate in Paris their active involvement in providing smart mobility solutions for the future.
Related content: ERTICO partners with Autonomy, the Urban Mobility Summit
