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Many large cities in Germany have been growing for decades, and with them car and truck traffic. At the same time, this has been affecting the quality of life of residents for some time - and, in the bigger picture, that of everyone on the planet. Individual car traffic in particular is leading to increasing air pollution and emissions in urban areas. At the same time, problems such as lack of space, traffic fatalities, congestion, stress and noise are increasing for local people.
This is set to change as part of the mobility transition. The federal government, federal states, industry and science have been working together for some time on solutions for the transformation of transportation in Germany. The development of new technologies for electrified and autonomous means of transport as well as the digitalization of infrastructure play a key role in this. The long-term goal is to make transportation more efficient and, above all, more environmentally friendly for everyone.
Connected instead of separated: integrated mobility
We asked ourselves: How can traffic problems in urban regions be solved and mobility made more sustainable at the same time? One answer can be found in the expansion of integrated mobility solutions.
The concept opposes the previous understanding of means of transportation such as buses, trains, cars and bicycles as isolated units. Instead of being limited to individual options, the focus is on the seamless, digital linking of different methods of transportation. Successful digitalization is therefore one of the key factors for the mobility transition in Germany. Start-ups, companies and municipal institutions have been working together for some time on innovative technologies and the corresponding infrastructure for a sustainable transportation system. The long-term goal: a networked mobility ecosystem that sees all means of transportation as part of a larger whole. Gaps between traditional modes of transport are closed in order to make movement in public spaces as smooth as possible.
Already a reality today: mobility as a holistic system
This multimodal transportation approach is an essential component of many smart city concepts. Means of transportation such as bicycles, scooters and car-sharing services as well as bus and rail transport are integrated into a central platform. Users can thus optimize their routes themselves depending on availability, costs and time preferences. This will not only make urban traffic more efficient in the long term, but also more environmentally friendly.Concepts of this kind are already being implemented in German cities today.Munich is a prime example of this.The Bavarian capital has been actively promoting the networking of mobility for years and was one of the pioneers in the introduction of centralized mobility apps.
Vertical mobility: drones to relieve the burden on cities
In addition to the reorganization of transport and infrastructure, specific technologies are also intended to drive the mobility revolution. And when it comes to the future of urban mobility, there is one topic in particular that cannot be ignored: drones. In the form of autonomous air cabs or flying load transports, they could soon relieve traffic congestion in major German cities.In addition to real-time monitoring of traffic jams and the maintenance of routes and critical infrastructure, they could also be used to deliver goods.This could help to reduce urban traffic and thus CO₂ emissions.Start-ups in Germany in particular are working on the development of such multi-rotor flying devices, also known as e-VOTLs. This is often done in cooperation with SMEs.
Bee Appliance is also active in the field of vertical mobility. The start-up from Beilngries in Upper Bavaria is working on the development of high-tech cargo drones that can lift up to 120 kilograms.The drones are also to be used in the fields of rescue and agriculture.Since 2018, there has been a partnership with the family business Biersack, which is now one of Bee Appliance's investors.
The mobility revolution picks up speed in the Digital Hub Mobility
The mobility revolution is made possible above all by collaborations in which the experience and resources of industry and established players meet the innovative ideas of founders.It's worth taking a look at the Digital Hub Mobility in Munich.Here, everything revolves around the future of mobility, with start-ups and companies working continuously in interdisciplinary teams to make transportation more efficient and environmentally friendly.The focus is on developing citizen-centered solutions and sustainable transport concepts as well as apps to combat congested roads and logistics bottlenecks.VePa, a start-up based in the hub, is developing vertical parking towers to counteract the shortage of space, while the Charge X team is facilitating the expansion of the infrastructure for electric cars with modular charging solutions.
In recent years, the hub has developed into one of the most important contact points for founders with its wide range of support services, including accelerators, scholarships and hackathons. In addition, start-up teams meet potential partners and clients from business and politics here. The hub is doing pioneering work in this context.For mobility and progress to go hand in hand, fresh ideas and a spirit of innovation are needed - and, above all, strong networks.
Outlook
The success of the mobility transition will not be driven by individual institutions or technologies.For it to succeed, companies and start-ups, cities and science, politics and society must follow a common path.In short: networked mobility needs networked players.Alongside digitalization, this is one of the main prerequisites for a sustainable transport system in Germany - and the Digital Hub Initiative will continue to work to bring all stakeholders together in the future.
Sources:
https://www.de-hub.de/en/the-hubs/munich/
https://bmdv.bund.de/EN/Home/home.html
https://www.isi.fraunhofer.de/en/themen/urbane-raeume/mobilitaetswende.html
https://www.mgm-compro.com/news/bee-appliance/
