Skip to main content

Report identifies innovations that will change transportation

Four new solutions based largely on existing technology could drastically improve the safety and efficiency of travel and transportation by 2025, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group. The report, Connected World: Transforming Travel, Transportation and Supply Chain, is the product of a cross-industry effort involving over fifty leading companies from the travel, transportation, and information and communications technology industries. It out
June 25, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Four new solutions based largely on existing technology could drastically improve the safety and efficiency of travel and transportation by 2025, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with The 4055 Boston Consulting Group.

The report, Connected World: Transforming Travel, Transportation and Supply Chain, is the product of a cross-industry effort involving over fifty leading companies from the travel, transportation, and information and communications technology industries. It outlines scenarios of how the world may look in 2025, reflecting potential socio-political, economic and environmental developments.

The four solutions, all of which have the potential to deliver solid social and economic benefits, are:

•    A traffic management system for megacities to integrate and process information from vehicles, travel infrastructure, individuals and the environment in real time to forecast and counteract congestion and reduce total vehicle emissions.
•    An intermodal travel ticket, enabling travellers to use one ticket per journey, regardless of the mode of transport, and providing real-time advice on congestion and route-change options.
•    A smart visa system for check-in, security and border control, to improve efficiency and security.
•    Real time logistics tracking, using RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips to track product locations and provide real-time shipping updates.

“Each of these solutions enables a transformation in global transportation systems that would drive economic growth and improve our daily lives. Each solution is entirely achievable. The technology is readily available; the main challenge is coordinating diverse stakeholders from multiple industries and government agencies,” said John Moavenzadeh, senior director, Mobility Industries, World Economic Forum.

The Forum is currently working with companies, governments and other stakeholders to develop roadmaps that would enable progress on all four solutions, or as Rupert Stadler, chairman of the Management Board of 2125 Audi, says: “The project encourages dialogue between politics, the industry and science on how to implement game-changing solutions.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Changing perceptions and going green with ITS
    May 26, 2022
    Entrants to the ITS (UK) Essay Award were asked to write about innovative application of ITS solutions to achieve decarbonisation goals. First-year apprentice Leora Wilson, who studies at Leeds College of Building as part of her apprenticeship with Mott MacDonald, won the competition with this entry…
  • Integrated mobility at the heart of innovative public transport strategies
    June 19, 2015
    According to Frost & Sullivan, in the context of converging mega trends such as urbanisation, technology advancements and social changes, cities and countries are being faced with a unique opportunity in intelligent mobility. To enable mobility integration to happen several industries are beginning to converge and collaborate including the automotive sector, transport operators, technology service and payment providers to name a few. "Effective and efficient mobility is only achievable through seaml
  • Wireless traffic data in real time
    January 31, 2012
    The effect of moving objects on the electromagnetic landscape set up by cellular telephony networks can be detected and interpreted to give real-time traffic data across large geographical areas at low cost. Here, we revisit the Celldar concept. Global economic downturn has pushed public-sector agencies, transport administrations among them, to push even harder for cost efficiencies. Unfortunately, when it comes to transport safety and efficiency the public sector often has to work up to a cost rather than
  • Container tracking systems set for major growth
    March 14, 2012
    According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of active remote container tracking units deployed on intermodal shipping containers was 77,000 in Q4-2011.