DETROIT – Autobeat Group, publisher of Autobeat Daily, Autobeat Europe, and Autobeat Asia has announced the launch of the Advanced Mobility Project, a new independent news and information source about innovations in the transport of people and goods. The Advanced Mobility Project will monitor fast-moving global trends in mobility, including such hot topics as connected vehicles, ride sharing, and trends in public transit. Announcement of the launch coincided with a lunch and panel discussion held at the newly-redesigned Cobo Hall last week.
During the North American International Auto Show Press Preview days, Autobeat Daily held a panel discussion to announce the Advance Mobility Project and to discuss the Connected Vehicle, emerging trends in personal mobility, and to hear about the long-term position the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is advocating for the state. Facilitated by Bill Hampton, Autobeat Group CEO, the panel included Jean Redfield, CEO of NextEnergy, Roger Franctot of Strategy Analytics, Paul Laurenza, Dykema, Gossett, and Nigel Francis, Senior VP of MEDC’s Automotive Sector.
In a free-ranging examination of topics that will shape the emerging mobility sector, panelists focused on several areas. Dykema’s Laurenza provided insight into issues of privacy; the ability to track vehicles, record vehicle operating data, and to use this information by insurance providers and OEMs is a real privacy concern for many citizens, but also has the possibility of realizing behavior-based underwriting that might reward good drivers. Lorenzo also gave some insight into the inherent issues that a connected world, with vehicles and transportation sharing a communications infrastructure, might create, and the need for a robust regulatory approach that can keep up with technology advancement.
Jean Redfield, CEO of NextEnergy focused on the role Next Energy would play as a regional incubator for mobility-related innovation. NextEnergy has a long record of finding and investing in emerging technologies, like sustainable energy, energy conservation innovations, and alternative fuels. Their role in creating a regional hub of connected vehicle innovation is consistent with the goals of organizations such as the MEDC, which seeks to attract and retain those companies and individuals leading the connected vehicle technology race.
The MEDC’s Nigel Francis underscored Michigan’s global leading role in making the connected vehicle and the infrastructure needed to support it a reality. Not only does Michigan lead in automotive engineering talent, and in developing telematics and in-vehicle technology, it also has the research capability to move innovative ideas from the design phase to early stage development, and even conduct real-world testing through the largest on-street connected vehicle pilot, currently operating in the Ann Arbor area. It is the MEDC’s goal for the state to be the overall hub for connected vehicle research, design, innovation, and manufacturing by attracting the right companies and the right talent to Michigan.
The Advanced Mobility Project will be expanding into several areas as it comes online in 2014.
? An Advanced Mobility Project web site will offer a wealth of news, information, analyses, and reporting on major mobility activities around the world.
? A television program, produced in partnership with WTVS, the Detroit PBS affiliate, is scheduled this Spring. It will cover topics on mobility and mobility trends.
? An invite-only mobility conference will take place February 21st at NextEnergy in Detroit. The one-day event will focus on the potential that connectivity brings for reshaping transportation, and will be streamed live via Detroit Public Television.
Jeremy recently left Compuware Corp., where he was a marketing technologist and project manager in the Mobile Solutions Group. In the past year, Eckhous has been conducting research and developing strategies to support connected vehicle solutions, mHealth, and M2M solutions. Eckhous blogs regularly on enterprise mobile management, emerging technologies in the mHealth space, and future technologies like Raspberry PI and Ambient Intelligence. Contact him at [email protected]
