Strengthening our position in connected cycling and ITS through MaaS and the EU Data Strategy

Connected cycling and the place of cycling in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) has become a hot topic in 2020. CIE already took an active role in that starting last year, with the Bicycles and ITS -project. This year, we have expanded our involvement in two ways; through Mobility-as-a-Service and our contribution to the EU public consultation on the Data Strategy.

The Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) service integrates various urban transport modes into a single on-demand mobility service. The integrated modes can include public transport, bike and car sharing, taxis and trains. The aim is to provide a more efficient, more convenient, cheaper and more sustainable mobility alternative in cities. Not only should MaaS be the best value proposition for users, it should also provide advantages for transport operators through new business models and new ways to organize and operate various modes. In March, CIE joined the MaaS Alliance as member. In their own words, the MaaS Alliance is “a public-private partnership creating the foundations for a common approach to MaaS, unlocking the economies of scale needed for successful implementation and take-up of MaaS in Europe and beyond”. They have taken a leading role in the development of unified MaaS services. CIE experts have started to attend the MaaS Governance and Business Model as well as the Technical and Innovation Working Groups to contribute actively to the MaaS initiatives, API, and standards.

Additionally, early June, the CIE MaaS Subgroup kicked off with experts from the CIE Connected Cycling and ITS Expert Group and Bike Share Expert Group. Bike sharing is currently the main supplier to MaaS from the cycling sector and work on the data needed to enable different forms of multi-modality, including MaaS, falls under the wider ITS umbrella. Bringing experts from both Groups together was therefore key to ensure coordination and avoid duplicate work. The Subgroup will work on developing a better understanding of the business models for cycling in MaaS platforms, collaborating with the European Commission on multi-modal cycling data standards, contributing to EU Green Deal initiatives and much more. For more information about the CIE MaaS Subgroup, contact us at info(at)cyclingindustries.com.

Furthermore, the CIE Connected Cycling and ITS Expert Group contributed to the European Commission’s consultation on the EU Strategy for data. We agree that indeed, over the last few years, digital technologies have transformed our economy and society, affecting all sectors of activity and the daily lives of all Europeans. Data is at the centre of this transformation, and more is to come as the volume of data produced in the world is growing rapidly. CIE as an association representing the cycling business sector welcomed the EU Data Strategy but underlined the need for a clear commitment from the EU to enable industries like ours to operate on a level playing field in terms of policy development. This means ensuring that all modes of transport are represented in the Expert and Research processes that will research and implement the EU Data Strategy and it means funding to enable our industry to be on a level playing field with sectors such as automotive and public transport which have historically attracted large EU and Member State financial support.

Image: Decathlon.