Entrepreneurship for urban mobility systems

The challenge to urban mobility arises from several intersecting trends: rapidly increasing urban populations; inadequate to non-existent infrastructure; ageing populations seeking to retain independent mobility, chiefly in the developed countries; and youthful populations seeking access to jobs, chiefly in the developing world. The consequences include: inferior service; wasted time from traffic congestion; pollution concentrated among dense populations, and inadequate vehicle parking. These challenges cannot be met by relying upon incremental improvements to the technologies and systems currently in place. Instead, radical entrepreneurial innovation must be allowed to offer disruptive improvements to the current mobility systems. However, singular innovations alone cannot unlock the full power of advanced technologies. In addition, large-scale, timely innovation will require ecosystem platforms to compete effectively with the incumbent business models and technologies. The most effective innovation ecosystems will find ways to include entrepreneurs in a predictable, systematic manner. Several kinds of kind of institutions can play a constructive role: governments at all levels to remove policy risk from the more customary risks to innovation; research universities through their teaching of innovation; entrepreneur support organizations; and, venture forums that connect startup companies to industry incumbents.