From the scientific point of view, this interdisciplinary consortium comprises expertise from the different aspects of sustainable work-related mobility.
Aalto University is a Finnish multidisciplinary university and the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management (DIEM) is one of the largest departments in Aalto University. The central focus area in DIEM research and education is the creation and the transformation of technology-based business. The coordinator of this project is Virtual and Mobile Work research unit with an extensive research project and publication record on the social aspects of multi-locational and mobile work. Aalto University has also a work package that looks into the socio-technical transitions affecting the sustainability of work-related mobility.
AIT is Austria’s largest non-university research institute and among the European research institutes a specialist in key infrastructure issues of the future. AIT’s Mobility Department covers those areas of research which are integral to a holistic view of the mobility system. The Mobility Department’s Dynamic Transportation Systems Business Unit performs research in traffic systems optimization to enable quick, safe and environmentally friendly individual traffic – while at the same time ensuring that the entire transportation system continues to work in an optimal manner.
The ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest multi-faculty universities in Switzerland offering a wide range of degree programs, interdisciplinary research and services. The Institute of Sustainable Development (INE) is a part of School of Engineering and consists of researchers with backgrounds in geography, engineering, environmental sciences, social sciences and economics. The research focus is on mobility and transport, energy issues and on the different dimensions of sustainability. Extensive knowledge on these fields has been gained in European and national level research projects, where primarily a socio-economic perspective has been adopted.
The co-applicant startups and SMEs have the technical and organizational competencies needed to implement intelligent and sustainable transportation services in different markets – starting from the technical capabilities to define the changes required in energy and transportation systems and spanning all the way to managing the actual multi-actor networks needed to create value adding transportation services.
AC2SG Software Oy is a Finnish startup that specializes in the development of products and software modules for electric vehicles and Smart Grids. We specifically focus on functionality that simplifies and streamlines the end-user service experience. In addition, to make the services viable for the service providers they need to be available at the right time, the right location and the right price. Within the electric vehicle charging this means functionality that optimizes the use of the installed infrastructure. This starts with the planning of the infrastructure and stretches all the way to the pricing of the services based on for example the time of day, day of the week and the capacity constraints of the network. In this specific project this functionality can be used to provide easy access to charging services, to provide people options for charging and parking based on on-line status of the network and link the use of the electric vehicle smoothly to other forms of transportation.
tbw research combines R&D activities of specific sectors such as smart mobility, energy, construction and water management, thus streamlining and optimizing the management and operation of research and funded projects. The Mobility-team at tbw research is continuously working on research, development and implementation of innovative mobility services (e.g. lighthouse projects “smile”, “eMORAIL”, “eMORAIL advanced” and “eTaxi Vienna”) and is engaged in an interdisciplinary approach with ‘new mobility’, zero-emission, intermodalit y, Smart Cities, ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), mobility research (demographic and gender aspects, socio-economics, etc.), mobility in the context of spatial structure and ‘Mobility as a Service’ as well as transport infrastructure assessment (economic, environmental and social assessment), site evaluation (e.g. multimodal accessibility analyzes) and strategic transport planning. tbw research’s management capacities were forged by being involved in several high profile research projects in Austria.
Tuup Oy is a limited company, found in January 2015, developing a Mobility as a Service (Maas) solution on smartphone/tablet platforms. Tuup will be both a Maas Operator itself and perhaps provide a white label product for other Maas operators. Tuup brings all mobility services into one integrated solution (parking, public transport, taxi, car and bike sharing etc.). Tuup will collect high-quality mobility data from the users which will revolutionize the possibilities for optimizing mobility services and travel behavior for the benefit of urban travelers, their employers and society. With Tuup it’s easy to plan the daily travel and compare and pay for the services both for business and private travel. For employers Tuup offers a tool to manage employees’ travel cost-efficiently and to give them incentives for sustainable travel options.
Virta Ltd was founded in December 2013 by 18 leading energy companies in Finland, determined to boost the development of electric traffic in Finland. Virta Ltd is Helsinki-based operator and technology company that provides a comprehensive technical platform and related services to its customers for offering EV charging services further to end customers, the EV drivers. Virta services include e.g. user identification, 24/7 technical customer service, sophisticated mobiles applications, payment systems as well as the delivery logistics of means of payment (RFID tags. In Finland Virta network consists of over 80 charging points in 16 cities all over Finland with several hundred’s EV owners as users of service. Virta solutions are also used in Switzerland by company SwissCharge AG. The company has ambitions for accelerated international growth.
Our case areas are represented by three co-operation partners in the consortium. These case areas are our research sites and also places where many of the implementations are done during this project.
The Growth Corridor Finland stretches from Helsinki to Tampere region as a string of cities. It forms the forefront basis of national competitiveness; more than 50 % of Finland’s GDP is produced in this area. Growth Corridor Finland is the biggest pool of workforce in Finland with more than 301 000 daily commuters. Our partner in the consortium is the cooperation network and a transition platform operating in the area. This network consist of 20 municipalities and cities, 3 Regional Councils, 4 Chambers of Commerce and also 4 Ministries are represented in this network: Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Education and Culture. This cooperation network is dedicated to building Growth Corridor Finland to become the leading experimental platform on intelligent transport services and systems in Europe and also promoting energy self-sufficiency in the corridor.
The Kanton Basel-Stadt with around 200‘000 inhabitants is part of North-Western Switzerland. The agglomeration of Basel with around 800‘000 inhabitants is a trinational region, including parts of Germany, France and of another Swiss Cantons. The Service of Mobility, part of the Department of Public Works and Transport is responsible for planning the transportation system as well as any mobility issues related to Basel. Their goals in this are the coordination of the transport system with settlement development and the reduction of environmental burdens related to traffic. The Service of Mobility ensures optimal accessibility of Basel via road and rail within the city as well as in the whole agglomeration and beyond. To support the sustainability of this mobility Basel has developed specific strategies and projects (e.g. “Pendlerfonds”).
Our co-operation partner representing Korneuburg District in Austria is ISTmobil GmbH, founded in 2013. The underlying idea behind ISTmobil is the creation of public micro transport systems, which follow the demand and actual user needs and are linked to the existing public transport system. These systems are aimed especially at rural areas in Austria, as these areas are often characterized by marginal public transport supply leading to high rate of motorization within the communities. The aim of ISTmobil is to make possible to travel within a region or in near future in the whole country using one customer card and one hotline. Another important aspect is to foster cooperation and increase coordination of the different mobility services, facilitating the pooling of regional transport providers. This combination of regular services and public micro transport create new possibilities for being mobile and reduce car dependency.