The phrase “Mind the gap” came about in the late 1960s as a way of alerting people to the gap between the train and the platform edge. Since then, it has become synonymous with the London Underground, aka. the Tube, and is recognised as an iconic slogan associated with British transport culture.
If you’re travelling around the capital, you’re going to hear the “Mind the gap” announcement at some point throughout your journey. It’s a simple but effective message that sticks with you, and perhaps companies, organisations, and institutions operating in the Mobility sector should take notice of this advice when it comes to collaboration in the industry.
A rocky ride
New players are constantly emerging within the Mobility sector, proposing innovative mobility solutions to global challenges such as driver safety and sustainability. Funding rounds and valuations are also frequently reported in the media. Envisics, the company behind hologram technology for in-car monitors, recently received £42m investment from Jaguar Land Rover and Hyundai Mobis and is now valued at $500m. Yet despite the billions of dollars being poured into hundreds of new mobility start-ups every year, rolling out these solutions is not as straightforward as it seems, with plenty of bumps along the way.
Take the race for sustainable mobility. Just last month it was reported that the UK will miss its net zero 2030 target, without further policy changes. And that’s not forgetting the widespread challenges like the lack of clarity over infrastructure. A recent study by charge point operator Liberty Charge found that 85% of local authorities underestimate how long it will take to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure when applying for government funding.
Creating a safer and more sustainable future for transportation is a mammoth task, with multiple players working to different timelines and levels of funding. It simply cannot be achieved without collaboration.
Collaboration brings many benefits. Through it, players in the Mobility sector can create better customer experiences and stay innovative, while at the same time continuing to drive healthy competition in the industry. Below are just a few examples of how powerful collaboration can be.
Sharing is caring
More ideas, more research, more data, and more knowledge need to be shared in the industry. The Mobility Data Space in Germany is a great example of how this can be achieved through a marketplace – the movement has brought together companies, organisations, and institutions who want to monetise their data or need data to unlock their innovative mobility solutions.
All aboard the same train
Players in the Mobility sector are interacting with the same customers or ultimately end users, so partnering with one another will improve experiences and help to gain more customers in the long term. Take, for example, micro-mobility operators such as Lime Bikes and HumanForest – by joining forces with local councils they could look to jointly overcome the ongoing parking problem.
Practice what you preach
While the collective end goal of achieving a more sustainable transportation future is clear, it is important that players in the Mobility sector, whether big or small, drive and encourage sustainability within their daily operations too – for example, amongst employees. WheelCoin, a free app that rewards people for travelling more sustainably, is a great example of collaboration via its partnership network with green mobility services. What’s more, it is addressing the climate emergency today!
Keeping on track
Through effective collaboration, players in the Mobility sector can overcome the complexities of regulation and work together to support the implementation of policies that help them grow, while creating boundaries to ensure a level playing field for healthy competition. The Institute for Transport Studies, led by the University of Leeds, is currently doing some fantastic work in the future mobility space by bringing together academic, industry, and policy partners to address such challenges head-on.
Collaboration cannot happen without communication
All eyes are on players in the Mobility sector right now to bring about a safer and more sustainable future for transportation. While the end goal for most, if not all, is shared and collective, they simply cannot afford to drift apart pursuing their own solutions. Collaboration is key in the Mobility sector and is a catalyst for future success in the industry.
Collaboration cannot happen without communication. Effective communication leads to a greater level of understanding, helps build trust, and ultimately allows for more informed decision-making – helping to reach a common goal quicker.
So, if you work in the Mobility sector and are looking to communicate about your product or service, we’d love to have a chat about how we might be able to help you. Get in touch today.