The platform economy opens its own space in the railway sector | Innovation


Mobile phones have become an application repository. The same we create folders with seven different social networks than others with a dozen for mobility only. This is still one of the results of the platform economy, although Renfe aims to lighten so much weight. Although it is still under development, since November it has been working on what it calls Renfe as a Service. It seeks to integrate different modes of transport on the same platform that allow the customer a first and last mile solution. Organize your trip from beginning to end through a single payment and all without leaving the application.

The proof of concept, as they need from the company, will last about three months. It will be open to half a thousand frequent users to check modules such as planning, ticketing and customer service before reaching the market. Manel Villalante, general director of strategy and development of Renfe, says that those chosen for this process will be frequent passengers on the route that connects Madrid and Barcelona. All this strategy is framed within the objectives of the Strategic Plan in order to reinforce the company's position regarding the liberalization of the passenger market in the railway sector.

The platform will be open, public and inclusive. The intention is to incorporate the largest possible offer of both public and private transport. For this start, the main operators will be Renfe (AVE, Cercanías and Rodalies), Cabify, Karhoo (groups about 30,000 taxis from all over Spain), Municipal Transport Company (buses and Bicimad), Barcelona Metropolitan Transport, Transport Consortium of Madrid (intercity buses and metro), SABA (car parks) and CIRC (scooters). Behind the whole initiative is IoMob, one of the winners of the first call of TrenLab, the accelerator of startups that Renfe develops together with Wayra –el hub of open innovation of Telefónica–.

Precisely, the TrenLab route does not stop. This year they have closed the third call to find entrepreneurs who focus their projects on the customer experience, communication with the customer and digitalization. Of the more than 170 startups who opted for a position, only four have finally been selected: Imotion Analytics, Obuu, Ossicles and Showleap. Trains without noise, intelligent stations that measure the influx of passengers in real time, optimized operations in real time and immediate translation of sign language were some of the solutions presented to accelerate the transformation of the railway sector during the six months of the program and with 50,000 euros of prize.

Disruptive proposals

The idea of ​​Imotion Analytics allows, through its technology of recognition of people and objects, to measure the influx of passengers and their profiles, to detect in real time the different types of fraud and to measure the capacity in parkings in real time. Obuu, on the other hand, convinced the jury with software that defines the current efficiency of a fleet in master curves and shows what the maximum efficiencies for each investment range would be. In the case of Ossicles, its intention is for passengers to listen to their individual screen without headphones or disturb the rest of their travel companions. And Showleap seeks to facilitate communication between deaf and hearing people with a real-time sign language to voice translator, based on camera recognition, artificial intelligence, deep learning and neural networks.

Renfe's commitment to digitalization starts with the Strategic Plan, but does not want to miss any opportunity to open up to the ecosystem, in this case in the form of startups with which to collaborate and accelerate for half a year. The TrenLab program also contributes to incorporate methodology, knowledge and entrepreneurial culture to the Renfe Group, as well as to identify and enhance innovation and internal talent. A good number of keys to develop to maintain competitiveness in this technological era, even more important if there is a liberalization of its market on the horizon. The sector has no signs of slow braking.

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