Constant innovation to keep ahead of profound changes in mobility
On a profoundly changing market, marked by the erosion of the barriers between mass transit and car users, the emergence of new patterns of use and the opportunities arising out of the digital revolution, Transdev has decided to devote its newly restored capabilities for development to innovation, so it can take up a position on the value-creating sectors of the future:
By developing “incremental” innovations aiming to continually improve the group’s competitive edge, its operational performance and the service quality of its operations, particularly in its traditional businesses;
By experimenting with breakthrough innovations, allowing the group to create new offerings and new services to keep pace with the profound transformation in the mobility sector which is only in its infancy.
Driving new forms of transit, through two businesses.
In this context, Transdev intends to continue operating the two businesses which will be the focus of the mobility of the future:
The business of transit operator, with the most comprehensive expertise possible across many modes and the ambition to maintain operational excellence
The business of integrator of mobility services, which is part of an overarching and totally open vision of mobility, breaking away from traditional organizational set-ups, particularly public or private monopolies.
Four areas of innovation heralding the mobility of the future
Transdev is innovating in four areas of the mobility sector:
the fundamentals of the business, with applications like Telediagnosis in maintenance or Toucango and AlterT, proposing new solutions in the field of security;
customer experience, with TEX, Datix or Listen, proposing new approaches of performance analysis for passengers;
the creation of new services, for public service mandates or open-access commercial offerings, with Fleetme or Split, using a dynamic trip optimization algorithm to offer a hyper-competitive taxi share service;
finally, the integration of mobility services,to provide a uniform intermodal passenger experience as is the case today in the Greater Toronto Area with Triplinx, or with the development of the Ztrip application.
To achieve this, the group has adopted a concrete and non-theoretical approach to innovation, which is as close to the ground as possible and totally integrated with its businesses. This organization is designed to encourage initiatives and increase experimentation.It is based internally on five centers of digital expertise (Helsinki in Finland, Pasadena in the USA, Hilversum in the Netherlands, Aix-en-Provence and Paris) and the creation of the Transdev Digital Factory, a project incubator dedicated to breakthrough innovation. In addition, Transdev is expanding its cooperation with external players, whether through direct cooperation with start-ups (la Roue Verte, Inov+, etc) or special partnerships with the Ecole Polytechnique and BPI/le Hub.
About Transdev
A subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts and Veolia, Transdev is a world leader in mobility. Transdev guides and supports local transport authorities from pre-project phase, to project support and development, to everyday operation of transport networks. With 83,000 employees in 19 countries, the group operates 43,000 vehicles and 22 light rail networks. In 2014, Transdev generated €6.6bn in turnover.