Four Game-Changers that Will Revolutionze Travel and Transport by 2025

• The World Economic Forum’s Connected World: Hyperconnected Travel and Transportation in Action report describes four solutions that can change travel, transport and trade by 2025
• The report describes the benefits of these solutions and how to build the public-private governance models for implementing them
• Over 50 leading companies from the travel, transportation and ICT industries contributed to the findings

Leipzig, Germany, 21 May 2014 – A new report released at the Annual Summit of the International Transport Forum today by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group, shows how travel and transport will be transformed by 2025.

According to the report, Connected World: Hyperconnected Travel and Transportation in Action, the lack of cross-industry cooperation, conflicting policies and missing standards, and the inherent risks of hyperconnectivity are the main barriers for seamless travel and transport. These barriers, notes the report, can be overcome through four solutions based largely on existing technology: a game-changer for using intermodal travel; a future traffic management system for megacities; a new answer for visa, airport security and border control processes; and logistics optimization.

“The solutions will allow us to revolutionize travel and transport,” said John Moavenzadeh, Senior Director of Mobility Industries at the World Economic Forum. “The tremendous benefits they can provide to the public and private sectors are clear. What is needed to realize those benefits is for the relevant stakeholders to come around the table to work together on bringing them to life.”

José Viegas, Secretary-General of the International Transport Forum at the OECD, added: “The digitalization of everything is changing transport in ways we are only beginning to fathom. But transport should go beyond adaptation, it should leverage innovations produced in engineering and organizational sciences. If it combines them into innovative, effective patterns, it can once more change the way the world is functioning.”

For example, the Integrated Proactive Intermodal Travel Assistant (IPITA) enables travellers to use one ticket per journey, regardless of the mode of transport, and provides real-time advice on congestion and route-change options. Not only does it improve transparency on travel options, but it also allows travellers to cut time spent on travel planning and reduces costs of rescheduling through delays.

“In the years ahead, solutions like IPITA, with real-time updates, customized recommendations and end-to-end ticketing will become game-changers for travellers. There’s a great opportunity for the private sector and public agencies to work together to make this a widespread reality,” said Margo Georgiadis, President, Americas Operations, at Google.

The Condition-based Megacity Traffic Management System (COMET) integrates and processes information from vehicles, travel infrastructure, individuals and the environment in real time to manage traffic through analytics, dynamic signalling and smart parking. It reduces congestion, emissions and accidents with significant improvement for health and safety. The total net benefits of the system can range from $2 billion to $10 billion per city.

“Traffic management is a growing challenge for megacities around the world,” said Niklas Gustavsson, Executive Vice-President of Public Affairs of Volvo. “A system like COMET could generate significant benefits for them. Using real-time data collection and analytics combined with smart parking and dynamic steering would reduce congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption.”

Another solution includes Automated Check-in, Security, Border Control and SMART visas (ACIS),which harnesses technology such as biometric identification, real-time risk classification of passengers, improved full body and luggage scanners, and electronic visa procedures to improve efficiency and security. The aim is to provide a smoother travel experience for international travellers and can increase travel volumes and tourism receipts.

And, the Tracking and Transparency-based Logistics Optimizer (TATLO) uses real-time information exchange between companies and between companies and governments to speed and enhance trade flows. It provides an integrated view for shippers and buyers on the status of their shipments and reduces the cost of and time spent on creating and processing trade documentation.

“To overcome the remaining challenges and to demonstrate the feasibility of the solutions, we have to work together with private and public stakeholders in implementing them, first as pilots and then scaling those pilots to full operation,” said Antonella Mei-Pochtler, Senior Partner and Managing Director of The Boston Consulting Group.

The Connected World: Hyperconnected Travel and Transportation in Action report is the product of a cross-industry effort involving over 50 leading companies from the travel, transportation, and information and communications technology industries. The report is part of the World Economic Forum’s Hyperconnectivity Initiative, offering insight on how the increasing prevalence and speed of connections around the globe will have an impact on security, cybercrime and privacy.