Article taken from www.vedavyzkum.cz.
What is the main goal of the Mobility Innovation Hub?
Mobility Innovation Hub (MIH) is part of the Technology Incubation (TI) project, which focuses on supporting start-ups in strategic areas for the Czech Republic, including mobility. The aim of this “Hub” is then to connect and collaborate key sectors, its participants and overall build an ecosystem in this area. It supports the emergence and development of innovation at all levels of the ecosystem. The Hub also includes a so-called BIC or business incubator.
The advantage of the whole project is that at any time during the year, regardless of the call, startups can contact us as part of the so-called pre-incubation, during which we will consult with companies about their plans and prepare them for the moment when challenge will be announced. We currently have over 1,300 startups registered in this pre-incubation.
Currently, a total of 134 startups have entered incubation across the entire project and more will follow. The mobility area covers 17 startups, and we can see very promising and successful companies among them.
And do you have a challenge coming up that startups shouldn’t miss?
We will open the next call during this autumn. I would like to appeal to all mobility projects to take the opportunity of a no-obligation consultation with our experts and apply. They will receive not only financial but also professional support and we will introduce them to the broad startup community we are trying to build within the project.
Who is the Hub for?
In addition to startups, these are mainly established companies, scientific and research institutes, innovation centres, secondary and higher education institutions, industry associations, associations and clusters, investors, Czech state and local government organisations, as well as international organisations.
What specifically do you provide and bring to companies?
These include identifying and breaking down sectoral barriers, initiating and amending legislation, preparing sectoral analyses and studies, establishing and supporting consortia and coalitions, including joint financing projects, searching for specific innovation solutions and their joint development and market positioning, supporting foreign expansion in cooperation with other partners at national and international level.
The Hub has been around since 2021. What does it boast?
The Mobility Innovation Hub was created with the aim of connecting key players in the sector. To achieve these goals, we have either organised or been part of dozens of events such as the international Urbis Smart Cities Meetup 2024 or the World Road Congress in Prague organised by the Czech Road Society, and initiatives in the field of e-mobility, autonomous mobility, urban and shared mobility, and active international networking.
Is there anything that hasn’t gone well yet and why?
I still see room for improvement in several areas. One of them is the level of proactivity of key market participants, which we would like to increase. One of the factors behind this may be the bureaucratic burden associated with the funding method. We want to focus on this and minimise the administrative burden for all parties.
What companies or institutions are working with the Hub?
Among the state institutions are the Ministry of Trade and Industry, CzechTrade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Regional Development. From the innovation infrastructure, e.g. Ynovate or EIT Urban Mobility.
These include AutoSAP, the Moravian-Silesian Automotive Cluster, ACRI, the Association of Aerospace Industry, the Moravian Aviation Cluster, the UAV Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Industry, and the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Among the companies are ŠKODA AUTO, ŠKODA Group, Toyota, Hyundai, Tatra, Valeo, Vitesco, Brano, Hella, JTEKT, ABB, ČEZ ESCO and many others.
What is the role of MIH in the Technology Incubation of CzechInvest?
The role of MIH within TI is the same as in the ecosystem in general – i.e. to connect TI participants with others, to facilitate the creation of joint projects, grants, etc. Thanks to our high knowledge of the environment and the market, we are able to effectively build on the services provided by TI and, in cooperation with other state organisations such as CzechTrade or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provide effective support for the development of innovative companies not only on the domestic market but also abroad.
Are there any startups that have been successfully incubated that you want to show off?
Every startup is different and has its own strengths and attractiveness. Within the MIH business incubator we are currently working with 17 startups. To illustrate the diversity, I would like to highlight at least the following: Dronetag, which focuses on drone flight control, Unitum IT, which deals with the testing of asphalt mixtures for roads, and thirdly, a completely different focus – Super2Stroke with a patented solution for a modern supercharged two-stroke engine with high unit power. For a full list of supported projects and further information about the project, including the calls, please visit the website.
How does the Czech Republic compare to Europe in the implementation of clean mobility?
The Czech Republic is successfully expanding its charging station network. Czech factories produce over 10% of the total number of electric vehicles at ŠKODA AUTO and Hyundai factories. We also produce electric buses. The trolleybus and rail vehicle sector, which are naturally environmentally friendly, is traditionally strong. There is a lot of activity in the field of transport solutions using hydrogen (e.g. the experimental Tatra).
The subsidy programmes have started later than in other countries due to the budget possibilities, but on the other hand we are in the phase of introducing new model series of all leading automakers, increased activity of foreign and Asian competitors, so the time is approaching when EV will be an affordable option for ordinary households and thus the market will get a new impetus.
Who should we look to for inspiration in this area?
The transition to clean mobility is not just about vehicle availability and infrastructure, or the presence of gigafactories, but also about the transformation of an industry that is gradually replacing production programmes for internal combustion engine cars. This is also linked to the scientific research base. The activity of major world markets such as the US and China and the promotion of new industry is putting pressure on European economies and governments to be active in this direction too.
What do we mean by Smart Urban Mobility?
Smart urban mobility is a key part of the smart cities concept, focusing on improving the quality of life of citizens, protecting the environment and increasing the competitiveness of cities through innovative technologies and solutions in the field of transport and transportation.
For example, vehicles equipped with sensors and communicating with their surroundings and with each other, whether they are passenger cars or public transport vehicles. However, smart urban mobility also includes shared means, or micro-mobility, as part of multimodal transport systems – where you use the most appropriate means for a given type of transport, need, and they naturally build on each other – e.g. last mile in the form of shared bikes or scooters, demand-response transport, etc.
MIH is actively involved in piloting such solutions in the framework of so-called living labs, polygons for testing autonomous mobility, legislative framework or support for incubated startups within the Technology Incubation Programme – e.g. Yedem, People Car, Autoplatba, E-Café Bike, including expansion – e.g. participation in the World Road Congress or Smart City Expo in Barcelona.
The Creative Business Cup 2024 competition, organized by CzechInvest, was won by the startup E-Cafe BIKE with its electric cargo vehicle Komuter. Why? And is such a vehicle a harbinger of new mobility not only in cities?
The Creative Business Cup awarded industrial transport design – a functional solution that contributes to the sustainability of transport and city life. These trolleys enable the fast and convenient transport of larger loads, developing the concept of “last mile delivery” and promoting a change in the understanding of cycling not only as a means of personal transport but also for transporting loads in urban environments. Yes, such means are certainly a glimpse into the future, as well as completely new formats not yet seen on the streets – such as Urban Air Mobility.
Startups with creative mobility solutions have a unique opportunity to enter the Creative Business Cup 2025 competition soon. The national round of this international competition, organised by the CzechInvest agency, is open to all creative startups, including those focused on smart urban mobility. Applications for the national round of the competition will open in November. The winner of the national round will have the opportunity to represent the Czech Republic at the global finals abroad and gain valuable contacts, feedback from experts and potential investors.
Keep an eye on the official website of the CzechInvest Agency or Creative Hub for up-to-date information on deadlines and application procedures.
Isn’t digitalised transport and autonomous driving still just a matter of “wishful thinking”? Do we have any major players in this field – companies, startups, universities, innovators?
Autonomous subways, trams, shuttle buses – e.g. at the airport – or taxis on pre-arranged routes are already quite common on the world market. In the near future, we will also see more urban applications of autonomous mobility in Europe. Personal vehicles in normal traffic – outside motorways or dedicated sections – are still the music of the future.
The Czech Republic also has interesting projects and solutions in this field – for example, the ŠKODA Group with its autonomous tram, which it tested on a new polygon in Pilsen, or the Bring Auto logistics solution.
Is the Czech legislation ready for autonomous vehicles or digitalised transport?
The Czech legislation under the leadership of the team around the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic reflects common European standards and does not lag behind them. To accelerate the adaptation of the legislative environment, greater demand from industry and scientific research organisations will be necessary.
In which area is it easiest to introduce such innovations?
The deployment of autonomous solutions in the agricultural sector, for example, is much easier given the conditions. In the Czech Republic, similar solutions are also being tested, although only to a limited extent. On the other hand, space technologies are also a great opportunity for precision agriculture, among other things thanks to the domestic activities of ESA and ESA BIC.
“Smart manufacturing and logistics” are also among the areas that MIH deals with. What does the layman understand by this?
The automotive industry, as well as transport technology in general, is largely based on engineering production – so it is natural that MIH is concerned with this topic. Smart manufacturing and logistics encompasses all technologies and processes that are moving towards the digitisation, automation and robotization of production. AI principles are also being applied to a significant extent in this area.
What are Hub’s plans or wishes for the future?
MIH’s ambition is to further involve not only major international players operating on the Czech market, but also national champions, state, local government and scientific research organisations to a greater extent, to create added value with the potential for global growth.
Martina Kurfirstová(VědaVýzkum.cz)
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