Tag Archive: Industry

  1. Slovenia beach town benefits from bicycle ambulances

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    Source: TheMayorEU, T.V. Iolov

    Paramedics on two wheels offer healthcare with improved flexibility, mobility, and speed in some scenarios

    For the past four years, residents and visitors to Izola, a small coastal city in Slovenia, have benefitted from a unique service – paramedics on bicycles. Initially, the idea came about when considering the best way to deliver first-aid services to participants of the Istrian Marathon, which was hosted in the city.

    Igor Crnić from the Izola Health Center explained for Radio Slovenia how the idea was born: “When we realized that the paramedics have to follow (the race participants) even where the ambulance cannot, and that they have to get to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible so that the injured or accident victim can more easily wait for the ambulance.”

    Now implemented during other peak times following the scheme’s success, this service highlights the advantages and adaptability of alternative transportation methods to motorized vehicles – particularly in narrow or crowded spaces. Today, first-aiders ride specialized e-bikes, fully equipped with the necessary equipment and adapted for unpaved path riding.

    The paramedics on bicycles are on site every weekend in the summer and during holidays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. They are connected to the dispatch center, which is aware of their location at all times and, if necessary, will call them in to intervene. Last summer saw 26 interventions by bike-riding paramedics.

    The most common cases were of sudden weakness and injuries, which can be treated directly on the ground. Thus, the emergency medical aid system elsewhere is somewhat relieved, says Crnić, who is satisfied that the project is no longer dependent on volunteer work: “The Municipality of Izola pays the Health Centre Izola, which, according to the contract, pays the rescuers who perform the work. But we’ll see how it goes in the future.”

  2. IRF Start-up Label: 2022 Applications Open

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    Source: IRF Start-up Label – International Road Federation (IRF )

    The IRF (International Road Federation) Start-up Label is a seal of excellence that recognises impactful companies.

    Establishing a new company requires confidence-building with clients, investors, current and future employees, and the IRF aim to support impactful mobility start-ups by helping them build trust with their stakeholders. Trustworthy organisations are recognised if an innovative and impactful product, service or value proposition has been developed by a credible team. The organisation also need to prove that technical goals can be achieved and that they have strategies in place to protect their innovation and execute a sustainable business strategy. By receiving the IRF Start-up Label and IRF’s official endorsement, start-ups can demonstrate credibility and earn sustainable trust with their stakeholders. Awarded Start-ups also benefit from IRF’s most valuable assets: unique knowledge and expertise, broad networking capabilities and extensive data services.

    To obtain the label, each start-up is assessed and each application is examined by a pool of IRF experts in charge of delivering a global evaluation of the company. Experts analyse the following criteria: impact on IRF’s key fields of action; environmental and social impacts; level of innovation and the company’s capacity to protect it; market tractionk i.e. the degree to which the product or the service satisfies an existing need, its viability and its scalability; founders’ profiles.

    The reward for obtaining the IRF Start-up Label is three years’ benefits from IRF’s official endorsement:
    Year 1     – Mentoring and Exposure. Mentoring is provided by a qualified IRF expert focusing on a topic chosen by the award-winning organisation. Exposure to applicable audiences is gained by co-signing an official press release, while also having the opportunity to participate in the IRF’s networking events.
    Years 2 and 3 – Networking. The IRF will aid the organisation with key networking actions following the identification of yearly priorities. This includes an introduction to relevant companies, experts and public bodies, dependent upon goals and IRF’s capabilities.

    IRF Start-up Label winners from 2021 were ASIMOB and Valerann. ASIMOB automate visual road inspection tasks to aid maintenance teams. Its lightweight solution uses IoT and AI to detect incidences and help to keep all road types in the safest possible condition. Valerann is a pioneering Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Saas company that motivates global control centres and road operators via their intelligent traffic management platform, Lanternn by Valerann.

    Applications for the 2022 award are now open. Submissions must be made by 31st August 2022 and can be made here.

  3. CoMoUK – New developments and shared transport: cutting car dependency

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    Source: CoMoUK

    CoMoUK has released its latest research paper, discussing the underpowered and inconsistent approach to development in the UK in regard to shared transport and its potential to deliver sustainable mobility.

    CoMoUK plays a leading role in the UK’s transition to integrated mobility solutions designed for the public good. CoMoUK supports the development of shared modes including bikes, scooters, buses, and cars.

    The new paper, which can be accessed in full here, discusses the state of shared mode development in the UK. “There is widespread planning approval of schemes that lock in car dependency. Shared transport is often not included within scheme design at all, and elsewhere it is only included at a very small scale (e.g. a single car club vehicle). However, there are numerous developments that are being planned around the ability of sustainable transport, including shared options, to cut the need for parking spaces, improve place and air quality and deliver ‘gentle density.”

    The paper goes on to explore multiple case studies, including locations such as Exeter and Leeds, providing recommendations for the future and best practice guidelines. Key recommendations revolve around redefining planning policy, coordinating planning and transportation initiatives, and limitations on private car facilitations.

  4. Global supply chain pressure index at an all-time high due to war in Ukraine

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    Source: Bike EU, Jo Beckendorff

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, publisher of the global supply chain pressure index (GSCPI), has revealed the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in its latest release.

    The invasion added additional pressure to a global network that was already under strain. Pressure is now at an all-time high since the index’s creation in 1997. The scenario continues to develop as trade and payments with Russia and Belarus rapidly decrease in line with Western bank sanctions. This turn of events is a stark contrast to early 2022 predictions that pressure was beginning to equalise following Covid-19 disruption.

    The GSCPI summarises 27 variables that impact global supply chain functioning, including measures such as cross-border and manufacturing costs. A score of 0 indicates that pressure is at an average level, and any positive increase indicates how many standard deviations the index is above average value, and vice versa. The value currently stands at 4.

    In the LEV industry, where a product as a whole may be completely dependent on specific, independently sourced parts, this pressure increase could force some manufacturing to a standstill. As the global scenario continues its progression, the impact on the supply chain will be closely observed by many.

  5. Micromobility Europe 2022 Announced

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    The event will take place in Amsterdam, June 1-2, 2022

    Micromobility Europe is the world’s fastest-growing mobility conference, bringing together top builders, thinkers, and leaders. The two-day event is a discussion and celebration of small electric vehicles and their power to radically transform our cities.

    The event boasts over 50 world-class speakers, 100+ expos and demos, and over 1,000 global visitors. Discover more detail via the official website, here.

    The event is hosted at Kromhouthal, an event venue at the IJ in North Amsterdam. The impressive industrial site of over 5000m2 has been transformed into an event space after decades of history as a manufacturing hall. In the past six years, it has blossomed into a leading destination for a wide range of events in Amsterdam.

  6. Updated e-scooter trial requirements in the UK – number plates, speed limits, and more

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    Source: UK GOV, Micromobilitybiz

    From 1 April new guidance will come into effect across the UK for shared micromobility trials, ensuring safety and best practice is at the forefront of the scheme.

    Each e-scooter in UK-wide micromobility trials will be required to display a manufacturer label with a unique identification number; these should be clearly visible on either the steering column, side, or rear of each vehicle. A variety of reasoning is given for this updated guidance, primarily easier identification of individual riders by both the police and the public. In the UK public usage of a privately owned e-scooter is illegal, identification numbers will aid in differentiating vehicles that are not part of micromobility trials.

    Outside of unique identification numbers, a range of additional recommendations have been released focusing on safety for both riders and the public. Recommendations include a lower speed limit for new riders, good-parking incentives, safety events, and technological improvements. The full release can be viewed here.

    Following the extended trial period, evaluation of the scheme’s success will inform the future of micromobility services in the UK.

  7. German cargo-bike market continues to bulk-up with 100,000 sales in 2020

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    Source: Forbes

    A ‘pandemic bike boom’ has catapulted the German and wider European cargo-bike market towards an estimated growth of 40-50% in 2021

    As European cities continue to grow in size and density, road space has become increasingly scarce. In tandem, online shopping has become the new norm, so it is unsurprising that in locations such as the UK, van traffic has seen a 71% increase over the last 20 years; for comparison, car traffic saw a 13% growth in the same period. More vans equate to more congestion, more pollution, and slower delivery times. In Germany, the cargo-bike is powering onto the scene with such ferocity that leading magazine Bike Europe stated that the bikes have quickly “[changed] the look of streets” in many cities.

    Six years ago, in 2016, annual German cargo-bike sales stood at 15,000, in 2020 sales reached 100,000; today, the pandemic induced ‘bike boom’ has led to manufacturers estimating they experienced growth of 40-50% in 2021. When discussing modern city planning Walther Ploos van Amstel, a professor of city logistics at Amsterdam University, argues that “trucks… need to become smarter, cleaner, quieter, smaller and safer.” to remain viable – electric cargo-bikes already fulfill all of these criteria.

    This spike in interest correlates to businesses begining to identify the range of benefits that electric cargo-bikes may bring to their operations in urban areas. In many cities, trips made by cargo-bikes are often more efficient during both travel and delivery procedure (parking, unloading, etc.). Consequently, policymakers are further accelerating the electric cargo-bike trend on a local and national scale, offering subsidies, trial schemes, and rebates. Cargo-bikes make up a crucial step in the marathon that is transforming European cities into climate-neutral locations.

    Electric-cargo-bike

  8. European Shared Mobility Index – 2021 year in review now available

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    Get access to the full review here.

    The latest European Shared Mobility Index has been released, providing market-by-market fleet breakdowns, ridership & per capita trip data, modal snapshots, industry highlights, and more.

    Alongside the year in review, full reports are available for each quarter of 2021, tracking the shared mobility boom across 100 European cities.

    The report is compiled by fluctuo Mobility Intelligence, one of Europe’s leading aggregators of data on shared mobility services (bikes, scooters, mopeds, cars). They combine data collection methods, algorithms, and a team of mobility experts to produce exhaustive, accurate data. This includes daily data on more than 200 shared mobility services in 100 European cities.

  9. Clean Cities Campaign – No EU cities on track for zero-emission mobility

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    Goal to move citizens onto climate-friendly transport by 2030 will be missed at the current transition rate

    Source: Clean Cities Campaign

    In a report released by the Clean Cities Campaign, 36 European cities were shown to have made inadequate progress towards green mobility goals if they are to meet the agreed 2030 deadline. Zero-emission mobility can be reached via a transition to active, shared, and electric mobility options. Director Barbara Stoll has referred to the report as “a wake-up call to city leaders across Europe“.

    Cities were ranked according to criteria including active travel options (walking, cycling, etc.), road safety, public transport accessibility, congestion level, electric charging infrastructure, and pollution levels. Taking into account the ongoing climate crisis, city policymakers must act quickly to transition populations to sustainable transport options. Three-quarters of all Europeans live in cities, all of which are ‘failing’ in regard to mobility goals.

    Renowned forward-thinking city Oslo topped the rankings, and notably, Ghent, in which the LEVA-EU headquarters are based, was placed 7th with a rating of B, sitting amongst the likes of Amsterdam and Copenhagen. These cities, while still having room for improvement, can serve as an inspiration for others who wish to accelerate their green transition.

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