MaaS Markets conference leads delegates from concept to delivery

MaaS Market is ITS International’s first conference and will provide delegates with the information they need to move from concept to delivery.

A transport revolution is underway – but precisely what form will it take, who will lead it and what are the implications for governments and existing providers?

What is clear is that a growing number of key players in the transportation sector – from authorities, to service providers and suppliers – are convinced that Mobility as a Service, or MaaS, will soon take root, and probably sooner than many people think.

Put simply, MaaS is about providing travellers with an easy-to-access, end-toend method of planning and purchasing transport. It uses new technology, such as a mobile phone app, to plan journeys – which may include rail, metro, bus, taxi, car share, bike hire and more - and to pay all the transport providers involved in a single transaction. The user has a regular subscription or receives a single monthly bill covering all their travel.

Such a system will be very disruptive to existing transportation business models but utilises the existing infrastructure and has the potential to deliver huge benefits through reduced congestion, lower car ownership and improved air quality. And, while transport providers will need to adjust, the potential increase in passenger numbers could more than outweigh the effort needed to make the change.

As ever in the transportation world, there is never a one-size-fits-all solution and the exact format of MaaS will vary from city to city and country to country. These variations are too numerous to cover in one, or indeed a series, of magazine articles so ITS International is bringing together some of the industry’s leading experts and authorities for a major two-day 8545 MaaS Market Conference in London next year.

Maas Market takes place on March 22 and 23 at 99 City Road, London EC1Y 4AX.

Located in Inmarsat’s global headquarters, next to Old Street underground and railway stations in the City of London, 99 City Road is a contemporary conference venue at the heart of London’s tech city district and close to the city’s financial centre. To book your seat at one of the most important events of the year, go to %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal www.maas-market.com Visit www.maas-market.com false http://http//www.maas-market.com/buy-tickets false false%>.

For further information go to the website, or contact Kelly Thompson on +44 1322 612055 or email at %$Linker: 2 Email <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkEmail [email protected] false mailto:[email protected] true false%> who will direct your enquiry to the right person.Designed for authorities and transport providers, the conference will focus on how to turn the MaaS concept into practical reality and will examine the steps necessary to implement MaaS as well as hearing from some of the trail-blazing early adopters. The conference will take place at Inmarsat’s conference centre in City Road, London on March 22 and 23. Opening the conference will be keynote presentations from Finland’s Minister of  Transport and Communications, Anne Berner, and Sampo Hietanen, the CEO of MaaS Global and widely regarded as the ‘father’ of the MaaS concept.

Finland is at the cutting edge of new ways of thinking about transportation and its work to date has clear lessons for other organisations looking to follow in its footsteps.

A central policy of Berner's ministerial term has been a new transport code, comprising a complete reform of the legal framework governing the markets in the transport sector. This has been seen as ground-breaking in Europe, heavily deregulating existing transport legalisation and laying the groundwork for new transport models like MaaS.

Hietanen created the mobility as a service concept 10 years ago - even then it was becoming evident that younger generations, in particular, are not wedded to car ownership. Earlier this year, he told ITS International: “The transportation sector is being hit by a digital tsunami and we have only started to scratch the surface. There will be lots of changes and now is the time for city authorities to decide what kind of transport they want and to regulate to enable that to happen.”

Another keynote speaker is Michael Hurwitz, the newly-appointed director of transport innovation at 1466 Transport for London and formerly with the UK DoT who will be talking about the opportunities MaaS creates for London to rethink its transport strategies.

So what is needed to make MaaS happen?

MaaS will turn the transport sector on its head and, rather than the transport operators simply offering services or infrastructure and letting travellers use them or not, the traveller will make an informed choice for every journey. But, as has been witnessed so often in the transport sector, the issue of interoperability will soon become an issue - a subject to be addressed by Rasmus Lindholm, a director of Ertico and secretary general of the MaaS Alliance. He will talk about the need to create common standards if MaaS is to fulfil its considerable potential.

Also presenting at the conference will be Andy Taylor, director of global strategy for 378 Cubic Transportation System, who is convinced that MaaS is on its way to becoming reality.

“The systems required to operate this are in operation today and generations today are shifting away from owned transportation to private and public transportation solutions. MaaS puts the travel needs of the individual at the core of the solution, and the reason it’s growing in appeal is the realisation that tailor-made packages can be put together to reflect individual needs.”

In his presentation Taylor will speak about the methodology for capturing the true cost-benefit analysis for both the user and the agencies wanting to offer MaaS and will also review the impact that MaaS will have on traditional services.

Miller Crockart, vice president of software technology company 3264 PTV Group, is equally enthusiastic, but warns there is much work to do. "MaaS has the potential to make us all smarter in terms of our use of the transport network as a whole. But it will require a mind-set change on the part of public and private operators, and the formation of consortia-type arrangements between different transport mode operators.

Building the business case for MaaS providers and the value of accommodating MaaS within the traditional ‘vertical’ transport companies and organisations is a vital component, and will be tackled headon by two more of our expert speakers.

Lucy Yu, head of innovation at the UK’s DoT will explore what MaaS will mean for vertical transport organisations be they bus, train, metro, taxi, car share, ride share or cycling. Under the heading, Winners, losers and the size of the prize – change of spending from car to public transport, Martyn Briggs, head of the mobility team at consultant Frost & Sullivan, will discuss how
companies can identify and quantify the growth potential of new mobility business models, and implement and realise these commercial opportunities.

Richard Harris, marketing and communications director at 4186 Xerox, will explore what he sees as the necessity for local authorities to participate in MaaS and will suggest ways in which that can happen. The effects and ramifications of MaaS cannot be overstated. In the words of Rasmus Lindholm, MaaS will be: “the biggest paradigm change in transport since affordable cars came into the market.”

While a great many questions remain unanswered, it is certain that MaaS is an idea whose time has come and those who do not participate, be they authorities or transport providers, risk losing control, influence and market share. So, whether you work for a transport authority, a transport provider or a supplier and are interested in participating in this ‘revolution’, the MaaS Market conference is the place to start.

However, delegate places are limited – so book yours now .. %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal Click here to Book! Visit MaaS to book tickets false http://www.maas-market.com/buy-tickets false false%>

Some of our speakers

Anne Berner
Anne-Catherine Berner is a politician, business executive and the current Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland.

Martyn Briggs
Martyn Briggs leads the Mobility team at consulting firm 2097 Frost &amp; Sullivan and is a thought-leader on a range of urban mobility topics, especially car-sharing business models and the integration of public transport, and road-based mobility services.

Richard Harris
Richard Harris, marketing and communications director at Xerox, is a member of the MaaS Alliance and entered the ITS Hall of Fame in 2015 with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sampo Hietanen
Sampo Hietanen is the CEO of MaaS Global Ltd and widely regarded as the “father” of the Mobility as a Service concept. A civil engineer by background, he was previously CEO at 7350 ITS Finland and, before that, CEO at Finnish driving data operator Helpten.

Michael Hurwitz
Having joined Transport for London from the UK DoT, Michael Hurwitz now drives the authority’s collaborations with the private sector and central government, ensuring that London remains a global magnet for innovative transport technology development and investment.

Rasmus Lindholm
Rasmus Lindholm is director at 374 Ertico, secretary general for the MaaS Alliance and a member of the European Programme Committee for both the World and European ITS Congresses.

Lucy Yu
Not only is Lucy Yu head of Innovation and Maas at the UK DoT, she is also COO of technology company Cucumber and a board member of 8546 HackTrain, a company dedicated to innovation in the railway industry. She is a former assistant director at the Cabinet Office.