Shared student mobility City platform - Smove City

Project facts

Project promoter:
Scope Systems(RO)
Project Number:
RO-INNOVATION-0059
Status:
Completed
Final project cost:
€188,656

Description

Scope Systems was founded in November 2019, by Andrei Gheorghiu initiative to provide quality solutions for smart city systems in Romania. The founder is an associate professor at the Transportation Faculty within Polytechnic University of Bucharest and has been working in the field of transportation systems since 2003. The company has been involved in the development of the smart city infrastructure in Romania. They have provided them with two integrated business units, Integrated Software Solutions (ISS) and Intelligent Mobility Solutions (IMS).
The main objective of the project is to develop a student transportation platform which uses real-time traffic modeling in order to reduce CO2 emissions. The need for the project was identified as a result of the large number of personal vehicles in Romanian cities and the need to identify solutions that can contribute to reducing them and the CO2 emissions. Given this need in the market, the company can develop a system for public student transportation that uses real-time traffic modeling.
The project will also support research and development in the company, educate and train the human resource, make students transport more efficient and have positive impact on the fight against climate change. Key activities of the project include:

  • Defining application architecture.
  • Configure the infrastructure.
  • Validate the prototype and later the model.
  • Publicity measures.
  • Project management.

Expected outcomes of the project include an increase in both turnover and net operational profit. The project will lead to a creation of an innovative solution and will also generate 4 new jobs.

Summary of project results

The main objective of the project was to develop a student transportation platform that uses real-time traffic modeling to reduce CO2 emissions. This platform aimed to support research and development within the company, educate and train skilled human resources, make student transport more efficient, develop and standardize new methods for automating children''s routes to various schools, and positively impact the fight against climate change. 

The project faced several challenges:

Technology and innovation uptake in Romanian cities and regions is slow. This required testing to demonstrate the platform''s commercial feasibility through pilots in certain locations. The full effect of the system would be demonstrated once the Applicant could mitigate several active consumers who discuss ideas and best practices (network effect).

The initiative needed to impact a wide variety of people''s behavior to achieve its goals. This required time, effort, and sustained promotion expenditures and customer success efforts over several years to achieve a national scale market.

The project was innovative due to its core modeling engine, which is a unique mechanism that could be customized for classic public transport or special transport like student transport. External factors such as market potential and national funding were considered medium to high risk.

The project aimed to reduce CO2 emissions by developing a student transportation platform that uses real-time traffic modeling. This addressed the need to reduce the number of personal vehicles in Romanian cities and contribute to the fight against climate change. 

The project undertook several key activities to achieve its objectives. Initially, it focused on defining the application architecture, which included establishing the functional and communication frameworks for the school bus system. This was followed by configuring the necessary IT infrastructure to support the development of the system, ensuring that both hardware and software requirements were met. The project then moved on to validating the laboratory model, where various modules such as the planning module for student mobility, the back-office module for integrated management, the route guidance system for drivers, and the information system for students were developed and tested.

Once the laboratory model was validated, the project proceeded to test the prototype in real operating conditions in the cities of Buzau, Focsani, and Suceava. This phase involved validating the developed modules in actual environments to ensure their functionality and effectiveness. Additionally, an information and awareness campaign was organized to inform the public about the project and its benefits. Throughout the project, ongoing management activities were conducted to ensure that the project stayed on track and met its objectives.

The project produced significant outputs, including the development of an innovative student transportation platform that uses real-time traffic modeling to reduce CO2 emissions. By 2023, the project aimed to implement at least four such platforms. These activities and outputs contributed to the project''s overall goal of improving urban mobility, reducing CO2 emissions, and supporting research and development within the company.

The project achieved several significant outcomes and impacts, benefiting various stakeholders. One of the primary results was an estimated annual growth in turnover of 11% by the end of the second operational year compared to the baseline year 2021. Additionally, the project saw an impressive estimated annual growth in net operational profit (EBIT) of 137% by the end of the second operational year compared to the baseline year 2021. The project also created four new jobs, contributing to local employment.

The development of the student transportation platform, which uses real-time traffic modeling to reduce CO2 emissions, was a key technological achievement. This platform not only supports research and development within the company but also educates and trains skilled human resources. By making student transport more efficient and reducing the number of personal vehicles on the road, the project had a positive impact on the environment and contributed to the fight against climate change.

The beneficiaries of the project include public authorities, transport operators, schools, and universities. These stakeholders benefit from the innovative solutions developed through the project, such as the integrated mobility system and the standardized methods for automating children''s routes to various schools. The project also had a broader societal impact by promoting sustainable urban mobility and reducing CO2 emissions, thereby contributing to a healthier and more sustainable environment for the community.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.