The professional services company PwC has launched a new programme to support transport disruptors who are transforming the transport and mobility industry as it adapts to changing public needs and consumer behaviours post-COVID-19.
PwC says the pandemic has changed the way people live, work and travel. Its public research in 2020 showed that whilst six out of ten people expect to travel to work just as often as before once the pandemic ends, worryingly for public transport, 31% expect to use public transport a little or a lot less in future.
PwC has unveiled its new Scale Transport programme in collaboration with GrowthBuilders. The programme aims to connect industry leaders with high-tech scale-ups to work more closely and drive innovation in the sector.
The 10-week programme will connect industry bodies to emerging private sector innovation at a crucial time for the evolution of transport as organisations seek to understand public needs, demands and preferences, and how these will change over time. For example, collaboration between city authorities and private companies can provide a new, joined-up transport service that empowers people to make choices as their needs evolve.
The focus of the transport programme is to connect authorities, operating companies and large infrastructure organisations in PwC’s network who are committed to change with innovative companies disrupting the transport sector. There are three key focus areas, which are improving the customer journey through managing congestion, effectively presenting information to and better serving customers; making the delivery of capital projects more efficient through using AI to boost productivity; and supporting operations and back office functions, such as cyber security and collecting data on road and rail leading to predictive maintenance.
Grant Klein, PwC’s UK Transport Lead, said, “Utilising innovative scale-up technology is more important than ever. Decisions that authorities and operators take now as necessary responses to the current crisis also provide an opportunity to make a lasting, positive effect on the economy, the environment and society. Connecting our transport clients to leading edge technologies through the Scale Transport programme can accelerate this process. Scale Transport bridges the gap thereby enabling businesses to accelerate their growth by opening the door to new opportunities and solving real problems for our major clients.”
The PwC Scale Transport 2021 cohort of businesses are:
Blackbox Company – The Blackbox Digital CIS platform enhances the passenger journey, supports the frontline staff and enables the control room to be more responsive.
FlowLedger – This Innovate UK funded MVP web application maximises large and complex project productivity in UK construction and aims to tackle the widening productivity gap against manufacturing head-on.
Gaist – Gaist monitors and collects data on our road network – providing the information to local authorities so they know which roads are in need of repair.
Kieka – App-based crowd-sourced real-time transit information platform. Shows you how busy tubes are before you leave home.
One Big Circle – Intelligent Video Technology specialists who are leaders in the field of video, integration and scalability.
ONHYS – ONHYS is a company specializing in the modeling and simulation of pedestrian flows , crowd movements and user behavior in urban spaces
Razor Secure – Specialists in rail cyber security solutions RazorSecure offers a flexible, hybrid network and host-based approach to railway cyber security. Powered by machine learning and designed to protect rolling stock, signalling and infrastructure systems.
Six Miles Across London Ltd. – Urban.MASS Ltd is a new mass transit system that carries up to 30,000 pax an hour in each direction on infrastructure that is 50% less expensive that existing alternatives such as monorail, tram or elevated light rail / metro.
We Build Bots – We Build Bots saves companies time and money by automating services through conversational AI and data analytics.
PwC’s Scale team has already run 44 Scale programmes in the UK working with 438 scale-ups across sectors such as FinTech, GovTech and Retail. The model brings real-time value to all parties, as the cohort itself is curated around PwC’s large client challenges, bringing through highly relevant solutions to drive opportunities for both.
(Logo – PwC/Yay Images)
