The goal of the integration of maritime transportation and urban transportation systems is to enhance overall mobility, especially in coastal or waterfront cities. This approach aims to address urban congestion, reduce environmental impact, and optimize transportation efficiency by utilizing waterways as a viable means of transit.

To further explore this topic, the EU Tech Chamber (EUTECH) Mobility Alliance organised a webinar on January 16, 2024, where the topic under discussion was, “Urban Mobility Integration: Bridging the Gap with Maritime Solutions.”

The webinar started off with an opening speech and a brief introduction to the Alliance by Mr. Muhammad Ahad Zaka – Coordinator of the Mobility Alliance – who also gave an overview of the organisation and introduced the participants.

The keynote speaker for today’s webinar was Mr. Trond Hovland, Managing Director at ITS Norway. Also in attendance on the panel was Mr. Bernd Mattner, Chairman of the Mobility Alliance and CEO & Founder of Fry Bern.

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) refers to the use of information, communication and sensor technologies on vehicles and transport infrastructure to provide real-time information for road users and travelers. Mr. Hovland’s explained each branch of what comprises an ITS, and each of their associated challenges. His presentation essentially encapsulated how Maritime ITS is a concept that will drive automation and enable cross-mode data sharing, thereby streamlining logistics via terminals and harbours.

In summary, the integration of maritime solutions into urban mobility strategies presents an opportunity to create more sustainable, efficient, and resilient transportation systems (in coastal or waterfront cities). It requires a holistic approach involving infrastructure development, technology integration, and collaboration between public and private stakeholders.

Towards the end of the session, a fruitful discussion took place, allowing both panelists to further their insights on the topic at hand, in response to questions posed. It was conferred that, Maritime ITS is a technological concept with projects and standards that, if integrated with land based ITS, will foster multi-modal mobility successfully. But there is a lack of policy to cover all modes of transport, and hence, there should be a policy that covers all modes, with a holistic view in the effort to optimize the processes.

Bringing humans to the centre of mobility to serve them better, is the essence that should be remembered.

We want to thank our moderator, and our respectable speakers for their informed visions on this much-needed topic. Moreover, special thanks to Ahad Zaka for distributing Tree-Certificates to the panelists.

Above all, sincere thanks to all our attendees – your comments, compliments, and questions. Stay tuned for our networking session, followed by our next Mobility Alliance webinar!