At the IAA symposium “Urban Mobility 2030” Dr. Barbara Hüttmann reported on intermodal transport concepts in Germany and the opportunities and challenges involved for the industry players. In response to the demand for new mobility services, not only car manufacturers, but also public transport companies and other stakeholders are currently evaluating and redefining their mobility portfolios to evolve into an intermodal mobility provider.
In her presentation, Dr. Hüttmann explained current core trends of mobility, which are the frame conditions influencing the future shape of urban mobility and create the demand for intermodal transport systems with an “optimised mobility from one source”. It became clear that on the supply side, a wide variety of intermodal mobility offers has emerged. There are two key issues arising in this context: How will intermodal transport concepts – with respect to their specific formation and the cooperations between players – be designed in the future? And which sector having which motives will act as their primary and long-term driver? Basically, the different actors can take up three potential core functions in an intermodal system: The function of the planner, the platform provider or the provider/supplier of transport services. Based on the findings of a collaborative study on Intermodal Transport Concepts, conducted by BSL Transportation and Consulting 4 Drive, Dr. Hüttmann presented five potential scenarios of a future organisation of intermodal transport systems and assessed potential roles of current mobility providers, or industries respectively, in their development until 2030.
Other key issues in this context that were highlighted by the speakers contributions and were then discussed in a panel discussion with the active participation of more than 100 symposium attendees were:
Which are the abilities of the car of the future, and how will it blend into urban life? What do future business models of car manufacturers and public transport operators look like? Will they move closer together or will they even merge? And how will commercial transport in the cities change?
The symposium, which was jointly organised by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the Young Forum of the German Scientific Society for Transportation (DVWG), focused primarily on the future shape of urban mobility against the background of growing urbanisation and an increasingly multimodal mobility behaviour of young city dwellers.
Further information and the presentations of the symposium “Urban Mobility 2030”, which took place on 24 September 2015 at the 66th International Motor Show (IAA) in the New Mobility World of the Exhibition Center Frankfurt are available ► here.
05. September 2015