techUK Intelligent Mobility and Transport programme reveals new strategy
techUK’s Intelligent Mobility and Transport Steering Board has agreed a 12-month strategy which will demonstrate how technology is enabling transport decarbonisation and improving customer experiences while also addressing the wider social impacts of transport innovation.
The Board is chaired by Phil Evans, Market Development Director for Transport at Capita and vice-chaired by Liz James, Senior Security Consultant at NCC Group.
Achieving Net Zero
The programme will showcase how technology can support multi-modality and shared infrastructure to drive environmental efficiency. With a focus on EV infrastructure, outputs will support joined-up thinking across government when considering how modes interact with each other, the energy system and the wider economy.
This builds on the work of the government-backed Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce of which techUK is a member.
The government has been successful in stimulating the EV car market but has been comparatively laggard in encouraging investment to heavier modes such as HGVs and buses. It is critical these are not excluded and techUK will build a case for applying market incentives within this important segment.
Hydrogen and alternative fuels will also be a focus, highlighting the role that digital technology can play in enabling their use and transitioning to cleaner energy sources for transport.
Improving customer experiences
It is recognised that the transition to Great British Rail (GBR) is a landmark opportunity to put the customer at the centre of how our railways are planned.
Work will be undertaken to demonstrate to the transition team how data and digital can be embraced from the outset to support the passenger journey.
More broadly, the group will consider the use of technology in supply chains and the last mile to ensure the enabling conditions are correct.
Social benefits
As transport becomes more multi-modal, the programme will examine how different modes can co-exist.
The group will consider what policies and planning are needed to ensure the democratisation of both fixed and digital infrastructure systems to achieve greater multi-modality and system interoperability.
Finally, important work will be undertaken to promote the transport sector’s work in making a positive contribution to future skills requirements and explore how the industry can attract, train and retain the best talent.
Seventeen businesses sit on techUK’s Intelligent Mobility and Transport Steering Board, giving a cross-sectoral view of the transport industry including mobility operators, software companies, system integrators, cybersecurity firms and consultancies.
We look forward to delivering upon this strategy and if you would like more information on the detailed workplan please contact [email protected].
Ashley Feldman
Ashley Feldman is the programme manager for transport and smart cities at techUK. Through working closely with the technology industry, his role is to promote the contribution of digital technology in driving positive outcomes for cities and transport. Through maintaining close ties to government, he also works to ensure the policy and regulatory conditions are optimised for businesses to scale innovation in the UK.
