The European Commission presented a new strategy on smart mobility on December 9th. If this strategy is implemented, it represents a shift from incremental change to fundamental transformation of Europe's transport system.
"Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy" outlines a range of policy actions that are designed to deliver a 90% reduction in the EU's transport emissions by 2050. Team Solutions believes that the strategy reinforces the importance of the sub-theme "Mobility" in the solutions investment theme "Sustainable Cities". This topic is important in the Solutions Analysis process, both concerning the search for mobility solution companies that was performed in 2020 and going forward. Citing the report, key targets for a sustainable transport sector include:
By 2030:
- at least 30 million zero-emission vehicles will be in operation on European roads.
- 100 European cities will be climate neutral.
- high-speed rail traffic will double.
- scheduled collective travel of under 500 km should be carbon neutral within the EU.
- automated mobility will be deployed at large scale.
- zero-emission vessels will become ready for market.
By 2035:
- zero-emission large aircraft will become ready for market.
By 2050:
- nearly all cars, vans, buses as well as new heavy-duty vehicles will be zero emission.
- rail freight traffic will double.
- high-speed rail traffic will triple.
- the multimodal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) equipped for sustainable and smart transport with high speed connectivity will be operational for the comprehensive network.
To reach these ambitious targets, the strategy is designed to be Sustainable (zero emission airports, marine ports, freight transport, urban and interurban transport); Smart (artificial intelligence, automated and multimodal mobility) and; Resilient (preventing the spread of pandemics, safe, affordable and accessible transport). A carbon pricing incentive is discussed in the report, extending the EU Emission Trading System (EU ETS) to include the maritime transport sector.
To summarize, the smart mobility strategy can indicate which sectors will benefit from the EU's capital allocation that is needed to reach the zero emission climate targets. Companies that operate within automation, electrification and seamless transport both in cities and internationally are well positioned to excel on the pathway to net zero emissions.
TechCrunch: Spacemaker, AI software for urban development, is aquired by Autodesk for $240M
On November 17th, breaking news hit the market that the American software company Autodesk has acquired the Norwegian scale-up Spacemaker. Autodesk initially became part of the Global Solutions fund in 2018, due to its pioneering within CAD, or computer-aided design. The technique allows for technical sketches, virtual design and testing using software. This leads to better design, more durable solutions, efficient product development and improved success rate of new products or buildings.
Team Solutions has kept an eye on Spacemaker for several years due to its innovative approach to urban planning and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the pre-construction phase of buildings. The strike of genius in coupling two such innovative business concepts and sound organizational cultures might pave the way for more sustainable housing. Considering the fact that we will be two billion people more in 2050 than we are today, sustainable densification of urban areas is highly necessary.
Autodesk is a significant position in Storebrand Global Solutions, with a market cap of 55,4 billion USD.
Read more about the acquisition at TechCrunch