In a few years' time, self-driving cars will be cruising through Smart Cities, so we are asking questions about how to integrate micro-mobility into a smart general transport system.

Alternative means of transport, also known as micro-mobility options, include vehicles as dissimilar as electric scooters, bicycles and gyropods. These are the perfect answer to the desire for ecological responsibility in the cities of tomorrow. Driven by human power or small electric motors, they are non-polluting by nature. But their low-tech architecture, which makes the installation of complex built-in electronics difficult, inherently means they are unsuitable for travel in urban areas where traffic will be directed by digital technology.

In 2016, a study by the Vias Institute (formerly BRSI) found that in Belgium 16% of journeys between home and the workplace were made by bicycle: an increase of 9% over 2010.

So, where do alternative means of transport fit in when all the vehicles on the road have to continuously collect and transmit data to be directed, move forward, turn or brake? Whether we're talking about manufacturers, start-up companies or users, micro-mobility initiatives are already underway to ensure it will be a widely used means of transport in Smart Cities.

Micro-mobility is redesigning the city

Expert view

"The Smart City will be the 15-minute city. So there'll be a great need for micro-mobility solutions instead of medium to long-range transport options."
Stéphane Leguet, Digital Strategic Analyst at BNP Paribas.

Alternative but connected

Wink Bar, the smart connected handlebar designed by French start-up Velco and winner of the Smart Cities prize at CES in Las Vegas just over two months ago, is pushing cycling into the digital era. Wink Bar is equipped with a GPS that doesn't have a screen but instead uses turn signal lights, which also makes it highly visible. By remaining focused on the correct route, the Wink Bar was designed as a co-pilot 2.0 to help cyclists throughout their journey. A purpose-built app provides location tracking for the bicycle if it goes missing, and records how many kilometres you travel and how many calories you burn while pedalling. It also gives you access to a range of supplementary services.

In a similar vein, smrtGRiPS connected bike grips, designed by the start-up of the same name, also use GPS and a smartphone app to direct the cyclist through the city streets, this time thanks to handlebar grips that vibrate to show you which way to go. If you need to turn right at a junction, the right grip vibrates. If you should go straight on, both grips vibrate at once.

Connected scooters

 The same is happening with electric scooters. Last year the Chinese company Xiaomi marketed a smart model, the M365, which included a whole range of connected apps. And recently the French company Archos, a specialist in smartphones and tablets, launched Citee Connect, a connected scooter with a 3G antenna that works with Android. A 5-inch touchscreen incorporated into the handlebar uses Google Maps and lets you cut journey times by choosing the shortest route. The touchscreen also allows permanent location tracking, shows the speed of travel as well as the number of kilometres travelled. Even gyropods are becoming connected. Conceived as the ecological solution for getting from one spot to another in the city, the Ninebot E+ by French designer Segway comes equipped with a Bluetooth connection for the first time, which gives access to several functions such as remote control of the vehicle.

These innovations demonstrate the ingenuity of start-up companies and manufacturers in adapting micro-mobility practice to digital technology and making it compatible with data use. Although admittedly still in the early stages, it's a first step. With connected means of transport comes the need for bespoke infrastructure so that micro-mobility can be fully integrated into the Smart City. For Stéphane Leguet, Digital Strategic Analyst at BNP Paribas, "the Smart City will be the 15-minute city. Whether we’re talking about schools, shops, workplaces, co-working, leisure or housing, hyper-proximity with and hyper-accessibility to all aspects of the urban environment will be a key element of the city of the future. So there'll be a great need for micro-mobility solutions."

Elsewhere, use of the bicycle as a means of transport is on the rise in Brussels. Between 2000 and 2015, bicycle use increased from 1% to 5%. This trend is clearly set to continue between now and 2020. The Villo! shared bicycle service will play its part in the success of cycling in Brussels. We have already seen impressive progress in 2017 with journey numbers rising to 1,615,160 as against 1,577,811 in 2016.

Connected cities support micro-mobility

"We increasingly realise that when most people travel by bike, we have a livelier, safer, more sustainable and healthier city."
Jan Gehl, Architect and urban design consultant.

Smart travelling and parking

The progress made on connected junctions, which in future will direct self-driving cars in cities, is already taking cyclists and pedestrians into account in order to prevent accidents when modelling traffic in real time. Likewise, micro-mobility digitalisation will in time see vehicle-to-vehicle devices being installed, which will enable smart infrastructure to identify bikes and gyropods accurately when directing traffic. These devices work by using drivers' smartphones, making it possible for scooter or gyropod users to activate them when moving.

New smart infrastructure for cyclists

 Parking too is a source of innovation. In London, the Eco Cycle start-up company is imagining future parking for bikes and is developing space-saving solutions that are ecologically responsible too. Its engineers have invented a tower-shaped smart storage system. Bicycles are hooked to rails that ascend and descend, with the capacity to store 200 bikes in each tower. Bicycle owners can easily park and retrieve their bikes by accessing the system with an Integrated Circuit (IC) Card. London also has other cards up its sleeve in its quest to make room for micro-mobility. Architect Norman Foster is working in partnership with London City Hall on an unusual project to build 10 cycle routes covering a distance of 220 kilometres suspended above the old railways that surround the city. Equipped with their own traffic lights, the routes aim to reduce congestion in the city while giving cyclists their own space.

There is still a long way to go before micro-mobility is fully integrated into the cities of the future. But the smart bicycle and connected gyropod are not simply by-products of fashion or the desire of start-ups and manufacturers to tune into their times. In reality, these innovations are fully aligned with the Smart City urban model, characterised by hyper-accessibility and based on digital technology and the sharing economy. So these alternative means of transport need to forge ahead, both now and increasingly in the future.

Sources :

• L’Atelier
• RTBF
• Le Vif
• VIAS
• RTBF

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Today, many employees see mobility as a need they address with their employer. They have moved beyond relying solely on the private car to get around, instead using a mix of mobility solutions – private, public and mixed. Belgian companies are therefore increasingly looking for expert advice on the perfect mobility mix, adapted to their own professional needs and the needs of their staff. Arval’s mobility specialists show how mobility is evolving and how to handle it accordingly. This not only takes knowledge, but also guidance to support employers in this area.

Philippe Kahn, Mobility Solutions Expert, sums up Arval’s vision and mission: “Life is a journey made of journeys. This means that we at Arval are constantly asking ourselves how we can support and relieve small, medium-sized and large enterprises in all the mobility issues they face. Our DNA as a supporter is built on two key aspects that add value: personal and sustainable mobility*. From individual firms to large companies, Arval offers its corporate know-how and provides a one-stop-shop solution."

* Sustainable mobility: mobility with lower greenhouse gas emissions, which promotes electrification, soft mobility and/or public transport.

Sustainable mobility: a natural progression

Many companies are now fully focused on sustainable mobility or are evolving in this direction. This means not only opting for electric cars, but also looking at new mobility solutions with an open mind. Arval has a role to play in this: all customers are informed and guided in their pursuit of sustainable mobility. For many companies, new mobility solutions such as Arval Bike Lease, Arval Car Sharing and the future budget management tool are key to a balanced mobility strategy.

Added value: business and personal

Arval’s budget management tool provides companies with a comprehensive overview of all their employees’ used mobility solutions and the associated costs. This is just one aspect of the added value companies get. Mobility consulting is also an integral part of what Arval offers.

Kahn: "If a company of around 100 employees plans to move to the centre of Antwerp, we sit down with them to see what new mobility solutions they'll need and how much it will all cost. This way, we're truly part of the team and together we look at the effects of all possible mobility solutions on their future. This is customisation, where we put our expertise at the service of our customers."

This expertise often leads companies to take a step forward in their business management and to better support their staff."

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Since 2019, the bank has reduced its CO2 emissions per full-time equivalent by 55%. And according to Sandra Wilikens, Chief Human Resources Officer, everyone must play their part.

Between 2019 and 2022, the bank succeeded in reducing its CO2 emissions by 55%. So how did you do this?

"Mainly by focusing on the energy efficiency of our buildings, which account for approximately 80% of our immediate emissions. We also optimised our real estate and significantly reduced business travel. We settled on a structured approach involving all departments. Since 2012, our Green Bank Platform has gathered the contact persons of each department every quarter, allowing them to present an action plan with their initiatives. They then develop a series of KPIs on energy and paper consumption, business travel, the electrification of the vehicle fleet, waste management, etc. Because measuring is knowing."

The target was to achieve a 42.5% reduction in emissions compared to 2012 by the end of 2025. A goal we have since achieved. What else is in the pipeline?

"We have no intention of resting on our laurels until 2025. Because there is no time to waste if we want to be carbon neutral by 2050. Our new headquarters at Montagne du Parc in Brussels is a good example of energy efficiency, but there is still a room for improvement in the rest of our real estate. We will improve the energy efficiency of the various regional offices, install solar panels in more than 80 branches, and LED lighting will become standard in all our buildings. These efforts must allow us to reduce our CO2 emissions by another 7%."

How much progress have you made in terms of the electrification of your fleet?

"We are making a sustained effort to electrify our fleet, and I think we are on the right track. At the end of 2022, just under 30% of our fleet of leased company cars was electric – 100% electric and plug-in hybrids. In the third quarter of 2023, these cars accounted for 95% of new orders. This was largely due to the new car taxation. But for employers, it doesn't stop there. They must deal with a complex tax framework, including the reimbursement of electricity costs. Some of our staff members also face obstacles, for example, because they have difficulty accessing a charging station. I intend to organise a mobility roundtable this year. The aim is to bring governments, operators, start-ups and companies together. Because we have to move forward and are all in this together."

How do you ensure sufficient employee engagement?

"With a lot of communication. You need to explain what you are doing and why. That is the only way to get people to cooperate. We have a network of more than 200 EcoCoaches within the bank. The sustainability compartment of CBA 90 also inspires. We set six specific objectives each year. If we achieve at least three, all staff members receive a bonus at the end of the year. To date, this has been a success. We also have other incentives. With our “Green Fuel Consumer Plan”, we reward staff members who have a company car but use it sparingly. We are also launching many campaigns to promote soft mobility, such as walking, cycling and public transport. The decision to base our offices in cities is also positive. At the end of 2022, 79% of the employees working in Brussels used public transport to get to work. Outside cities, 60% of employees do this."

Finally, can you think of any issues that need to be addressed urgently?

"Digital pollution is often underestimated. To give you an idea: sending 100 mails emits just as much CO2 as driving twenty kilometres. That’s why we organise an internal campaign every year to raise awareness among our staff members and give them tips on how to reduce their digital footprint. Regularly cleaning up your mailbox, sending links instead of files, deleting outdated files: all little things. But if our 11,000 colleagues do this daily, we can make a big impact. Every effort counts!"

A subscription to build customer loyalty, reinvent yourself in times of crisis and buy better: Emna Everard saw that as exactly the right way to launch and maintain her Brussels-based start-up.

Born into a family of dietitians, Emna Everard knows what it means to eat healthily. "At the age of 12, I was already deciphering packaging labels. My dream was to open a supermarket one day where you could shop with your eyes closed", she recalls.

And because Everard has entrepreneurship in her bones, that’s exactly what she did. In 2016, just before the end of her university studies, she launched the “healthiest online supermarket on the market”: Kazidomi. Her standards are high, both in terms of composition and taste. Kazidomi selects products carefully, enabling its customers to buy healthy, mainly organic, plant-based products with complete confidence.

The loyalty programme

Six months after its launch, Kazidomi’s growth is accelerating thanks to the launch of its loyalty programme. A 59 euro subscription offering 20–50% discounts on all food, cosmetics or care products available online. Profitability and savings guaranteed.

This was followed by a first fundraising of €50,000 in 2017. Kazidomi is growing, expanding the size of its stock and developing its marketing. Everard hired her first two employees. Sales grew rapidly and literally exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Consumers suddenly had time to think about their health and well-being and were doing most of their shopping online," she adds.

How did you reinvent yourself?

The post-crisis period was a turning point. "Kazidomi had to reinvent itself. We wanted to have financial stability and avoid any dependence on external resources," continues Everard. Together with her teams, she looked at their cost structure, operational efficiency and marketing. After these reflections, the aim was no longer growth at any price, but the company's long-term viability and financial health, thanks to an intelligent reorganisation.

Two acquisitions would subsequently enable Kazidomi to boost its growth, creating significant synergies: "Smart Fooding" in August 2022 and "Bébé au Naturel" a few months later, a business specialising in healthy products for babies and their parents. "With Bébé au Naturel, we doubled the volume of orders sent out," adds Everard. "This has allowed us to get a better rate from our carriers and reduce costs."

A responsive and attentive bank

As the Brussels start-up’s bank, BNP Paribas Fortis granted it three loans for its launch, between 2016 and 2019. This support came naturally, with Kazidomi’s commitments in terms of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) objectives perfectly aligned with the bank’s strategy. "We joined the BNP Paribas Fortis Innovation Hub programme and our relationship manager – who knew the start-up environment extremely well – was immediately enthusiastic and very attentive. He believed in our project, followed it closely, advised us to participate in a series of events to meet other players whose background and profile would be of interest for us," explains the Entrepreneur of the Year 2019.

But the support didn't stop there. "In December 2022, it was thanks to BNP Paribas Fortis, among other things, that we were able to acquire “Bébé au Naturel”. Start-ups like Kazidomi need a high level of responsiveness from their bank. When there is a company to buy, or another opportunity, things have to move fast. Analysis of the file, provision of funds: BNP Paribas Fortis has always been responsive and enthusiastic and has supported us in 99% of our requests," says the CEO enthusiastically.

Eight years since launching, Kazidomi today has 4,000 products that it delivers across Europe. The Belgian start-up makes 90% of its sales on its website and 10% via external resellers, such as Delhaize. Kazidomi has also launched its own brand “Kazidomi”, which has 200 products on offer. By working directly with producers, we can offer the best possible quality products at the best price. https://www.kazidomi.com/en

Kazidomi is ready to change the world. Discover even more inspiring entrepreneurial stories.