Australia’s population is predicted to grow by 50 percent over the next 30 years, which will bring higher levels of traffic congestion. So, government, transport leaders and technology innovators must urgently develop a strategic approach to enable a smart mobility operating environment.

The NSW Government has led the charge by choosing technology companies to progress innovation in Mobility as a Service (MaaS). This is described as “digital platforms through which people can access a range of public, shared and private transport, using a system that integrates the planning, booking and paying for travel”.

MaaS is widely seen as a potential game-changer for the transport sector. But to create a MaaS operating environment, Australia must overcome many challenges.

Innovations will be needed to relieve traffic congestion on our roads, decrease car ownership and incentivise commuters to use new modes of transport that reduce stress on our transport systems.

With that in mind, the Future Smart Mobility Summit in Melbourne from November 27 to29 aims to bring together transport services, government and technology leaders to learn about new research that will enable the development of Smart Mobility and MaaS.

The event will be held in Bayview Eden and you can access the full program of speakers, sessions, and interactive workshops here. Topics to be discussed will include:

• The challenges and outcomes of innovating and implementing future smart mobility projects in Australia
• Assessing the future need for on-demand and smart transport services and the operational aspect of public service integration
• The need for new transport services that relieve congestion and reduce private car ownership
• How increased government engagement can positively affect technology innovation and MaaS development in the transport sector.

The event also boasts an impressive line-up of speakers. These include:

• Kevin McLaughlin, Smart Mobility Advisor, Voila Mobility Toronto
• Emma Reedy, Manager of Operational Delivery (Services), Transport NSW
• Mitchell Price, Head of Government Policy and Strategy Asia Pacific, LIME
• Justin Passaportis, General Manager of Victoria and South Australia, GoGet
• Matthew Horn, Head of Ride Operations Victoria and Tasmania, Uber
• Kyle Bolto, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Ohmie Co
• Sue Wiblin, Manager of New Mobilities, Keolis Downer
• Rahila David, Senior Policy Analyst, National Transport Commission
• Jeff Sharp, General Manager of Technology, Partnerships and Innovation, Transurban

The event organisers are offering IoT Hub readers a 10 percent discount, if they quote the code IOTHUB10. To see ticket prices, including team packages, go to the Future Smart Mobility Summit site.