Mobilizing New Mobility Innovation, Industry Development and Consumer Uptake for the Detroit Region (2014)
- Aaron Desatnik, MBA/MS Behavior, Education and Communication
- Therese Miranda, MBA/MS Sustainable Systems
- Lizzie Reisman, MBA/MS Behavior, Education and Communication
- Jason Sekhon, MBA/MS Environmental Policy and Planning
- Sam Shingledecker, MS Sustainable Systems
This 18-month project aims to identify new transportation technologies, business models, services, and products that help the system and individuals use local opportunity (in our case, in the Michigan Region) better to meet current and future mobility needs. We would like students to explore ways in which the Detroit region can provide a platform to develop understanding around these concepts, including in the context of suburban areas with limited public transit systems. We would also like to advance the Detroit Regions as a test bed for new approaches and solutions.
Why? Our cities are rapidly urbanizing, and new technologies and business models are being developed that influence the way we interact with them. With the advent of new facilitative information technologies, new service and fractional use models new cultural trends towards open source, and IT-enhanced portfolios, and new approaches to cross institutional / cross sectoral alliances, there is an increased flow of information, and access to a various types of interconnectivity (electronic, physical, and institutional) that didn't exist before.
The presence of this system-wide connectivity has the power to better inform and support consumers not only on their mobility needs but also on how their mobility choices determine the energy consumption, green footprint and present/future costs involved. The project aims to understand how this interconnectivity and knowledge gain influences the decisions made by the consumer and how the presence of one mode or service or technology influence the uptake of another for e.g.: Where does bike sharing make a train system work better for the people that use it. Where can an SMS push help shift behavior so that a text message on the phone helps a user take better advantage of a bus route?
We have witnessed interest in this Masters proposal by some students already and hope to attract many others as well. We would like to engage a good mix of students from SNRE, Ross Business School, School of Information and TCAUP for this project.
- Ground floor participation in the development of new approaches, technologies, systems and conceptual frameworks that form the basis of the emerging New Mobility industry
- Work with pioneers in New Mobility consumer uptake research through UM-SMART
- Networking and presentation opportunities through Ford, Next Energy, and SMART.
- Ford Blueprint project and sustainability network links with a wide community of businesses and other partners related to New Mobility innovation and industry development. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to meet and work with highly skilled researchers, planners and engineers within the global auto industry.
- Next Energy / SMART Entrepreneur Events: NextEnergy provides direct assistance to start-up companies in the commercialization of products and intellectual property in the advanced energy industry. SMART works to advance New Mobility entrepreneurship globally including in Michigan, as well as through the Mobi prize and registry (see www.mobiprize.com) Students will get an opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs and business leaders at these events.
- SMART Events: Students will have the opportunity to meet some of SMART's "Living Lab" partners as well as business forum and entrepreneurs network members at a global network retreat that will be held in Ann Arbor in March 2013. They will also connect with transportation, innovation, and tech transfer related U-M faculty as part of SMART's wide network.
- Through the above events and networks students will also link with Michigan transportation/planning/ economic development agencies.
- Ford is interested in exploring the changes coming for mobility. The growth of Mega-cities and global urbanization are driving a diversification of transportation solutions. The automobile needs to be viewed as one element of a transportation ecosystem and we need to look for new ways to optimize the entire system. There is not a single "magic bullet" solution. It requires new technologies, new products and new business models functioning in a holistic approach. It will also involve company partnerships and collaboration with governments - all of us working together for a common goal to create new opportunities.
- NextEnergy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2002 to drive advanced energy investment and job creation in Michigan. Located in Midtown Detroit's innovation corridor, NextEnergy serves as a catalyst for advanced energy technology demonstration and commercialization in the state. Since its inception, NextEnergy has helped to attract more than $1 billion of new investment, including over $150 million generated by programs in which we have directly participated. This particular project would be organized through NextEnergy's New Market Services unit, which is responsible for all of NextEnergy's industry and venture services related to emerging sectors.
- SMART catalyzes and collaborates to develop new approaches to implementing integrated multi-modal transport through a growing number of "Living Labs," or collaborative on the ground transportation projects, in communities and regions around the world. SMART will draw on these partnerships, resources, and learning that have been generated through the specific areas of focus on connecting the dots, moving money and moving minds, along with parallel work on the trends that drive the global future of transportation. In particular SMART is a pioneer in New Mobility industry cluster development, and in New Mobility consumer uptake.
- Economic Mapping: Students will be exposed to (and possibly contribute to) the development of SMART's new economic mapping technology.
- Students will be introduced to various methods used to conduct consumer behavior analysis.
Ford Motor Company, Next Energy and SMART(University of Michigan) will jointly support the masters Project.
- Report on the influence of an interconnected multi-modal system on the consumer's uptake of different transportation modes, services, and technologies.
- Identify the new business models, technologies, products and services that are either existing or are potential markets that need to be tapped in Michigan which can play a key role in developing an integrated mobility system for the region.
- Develop a strategy to make the Detroit region a test bed for these models.
- Entrepreneurial / new business - trends & approaches, New Technologies / Social Media, Economic / Industry Analysis
- Market Research
- Behavior/Communication
- Networking Skills
- Urban Planning/ Transportation Planning/ Real Estate
- GIS Mapping