The mobility of the future will enhance road safety, will be progressively automated and connected, and will be environmentally friendly. Deep tech plays an important role in this new urban mobility.
In urban areas, the key to mobility lies in minimising congestion caused by private vehicles, accessible public transport and promoting active transport (bicycles, scooters, etc.). At the same time, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is growing, electric vehicle charging systems are spreading in many cities, and the deployment of 5G will facilitate the arrival of autonomous vehicles.
Deep tech plays an important role in this new urban mobility, from artificial intelligence and blockchain, which help coordinate last-mile deliveries, to advanced materials, which improve the performance of electric and connected vehicle batteries, without forgetting the great contribution of photonic technologies in the development of intelligent sensing, advanced lighting or optical communications for the automotive industry.
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Urban mobility is facing significant challenges nowadays; mainly within cities and large metropolitan areas, but also outside. In this scenario, rail is one of the most affected transportation modes, thus smart rail, as the future of the railways will be the basis for sustainable and safe mobility.
If we leave the city, the big bet is on the railway sector, as the electrification of transport is crucial to reduce carbon emissions. The modal shift towards public transport and the high potential of rail within green and sustainable transport modes, gives it the opportunity to grow, according to the smart rail vision.
In this sense, the opportunities created by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data will enable the transition towards smart carriages that are able to exploit the information gathered from the operational and operating parameters of each carriage, and improve decision-making in real time. In addition, connectivity to LTE and 5G networks opens the door to new information and entertainment services on the train.
