Skip to main content

Prince Constantijn calls on ITS sector to support start-ups

Entrepreneurs need collaboration and support from established ITS companies to solve smart mobility issues, urged a member of the Dutch royal family, speaking at the official opening of Intertraffic 2018. His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn van Oranje said: “When we think about smart mobility and MaaS, at some point we turn to start-ups.” The Prince, who is special envoy for the Dutch government’s StartupDelta initiative, suggested that entrepreneurs were not coming up with ‘crazy’ ideas – rather, they w
March 20, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Entrepreneurs need collaboration and support from established ITS companies to solve smart mobility issues, urged a member of the Dutch royal family, speaking at the official opening of Intertraffic 2018.


His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn van Oranje said: “When we think about smart mobility and MaaS, at some point we turn to start-ups.” The Prince, who is special envoy for the Dutch government’s StartupDelta initiative, suggested that entrepreneurs were not coming up with ‘crazy’ ideas – rather, they were presenting solutions to what he sees as ‘crazy’ transport problems.

“We think it’s normal to sit in traffic for hours, polluting the planet,” His Majesty said. “So flip it round: they are coming up with pragmatic solutions for our very stupid mobility systems. For this miracle to happen, we need communication.”

His Royal Highness encouraged show visitors to go and talk to entrepreneurs who are exhibiting at Intertraffic’s ITSUP event in Hall 9.  

Related Content

  • Bill Halkias: 'We need a sustainable world'
    April 20, 2021
    In the first of our Tolling Matters interview series, Bill Halkias, MD & CEO of Attica Tollway Operations Authority and president of the International Road Federation, talks to Adam Hill about post-Covid recovery and sustainable mobility
  • Mohamed Mezghani, UITP: “Neither cars nor public transport can satisfy mobility needs separately"
    February 23, 2024
    Mohamed Mezghani of UITP tells Adam Hill how you can create your own bubble on public transport, why riding a tram gives you a new perspective – and how regulation is like a French pastry
  • London conference hears EC calls for input on MaaS
    February 22, 2018
    “Tell us what you need the European Commission to do to help Mobility as a Service (MaaS), and I promise I will do my best to fix it,” was the call from Paivi Wood, policy officer in the EC’s DG Move to delegates to ITS International’s second MaaS Market Conference. Several delegates identified a lack of co-operation by bus, train, taxi and other transit companies as the biggest hurdle to implementing MaaS in many parts of Europe and while pledging to act where she could, Wood said such legislation would b
  • Irdeto security expert: ‘Think maliciously to beat hackers’
    September 4, 2018
    Increased connectivity in transportation is a potential goldmine for hackers. To stop them, Stacy Janes at Irdeto says it’s important to think ‘maliciously’. Adam Hill talks to him about ITS’s weak points – and why turning up car radios could be enough to bring auto manufacturers to their knees