The annual MaaS Market Europe event took place this year on 20th and 21st February 2018 in London. MaaS Market Europe is renowned for its focus on alternative forms of mobility, Mobility as a Service, and, in general, discussing new ways of getting people from point A to point B. Topics this year included changes in mobility and mobility behaviour in the future, technologies, standards, as well as reports from currently ongoing MaaS projects and initiatives. MaaS Alliance was represented at the event by three of its members – Cubic (Gold sponsor of the event), Kapsch (Silver sponsor of the event), and Hamburger Hochbahn.

Andy Taylor (Cubic) and Sascha Westermann (Hamburger Hochbahn) both spoke on the first day of the event. Andy spoke as part of the “Technology and Common Standards: Mobility and Planning” session and focussed on the implications for a financial engine that would link payments and accounts. This kind of engine will be critical to a true multi-modal environment, as we evolve toward MaaS. Andy discussed the aspects related to account-based solutions, the issues and practicalities of setting up and managing such a platform, as well as who owns and operates the engine. He also explained the benefits of a robust mechanism in protecting revenue and ensuring equity in a MaaS environment.

Sascha Westerman (Hamburger Hochbahn) participated in the session which showcased current MaaS projects. He spoke about Hamburg’s intelligent mobility plan and, in particular, the relatively new project switchh – a mobility platform available to Hamburg’s residents, which brings together various transport offerings in the City of Hamburg under one roof. Sascha highlighted that “above all, the willingness of cooperation of private and public transport companies is essential, as well as the readiness the share data”. This is also something that the MaaS Alliance seeks to achieve, by bringing together different stakeholders from the private and public sectors, all of which are passionate about creating a true MaaS ecosystem.

Find out more about the MaaS Market event here.