The EcoMotion Week took place virtually once again this year, and unfortunately under the most unfavorable circumstances imaginable. Every year, the important startup fair in the tech metropolis of Tel Aviv brings together leading global companies and startups that are doing pioneering work in the field of smart mobility. This year, around 600 startups, quite a few investors, industry leaders, associations, universities, policy makers and other key participants, used the virtual space to take advantage of various opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking and business initiation. Under the theme of Smart Mobility, countless interactions have taken place in the field of innovative technologies from Autonomous & Connected, Mobility Services, Electrification & Energy, Drones & Aviation, and Supply Chain.
The EcoMotion Week stages – at the pulse of time
It started after the Opening Words on the first day with a virtual challenge stage. Here, various experts were able to exchange ideas on current mobility topics. The topics were given and were categorized into different core industries as well as countries. In this way, the resulting discussions were pre-structured and moderated.
On the Startup Stage, the high-tech startups were represented with virtual booths whose virtual rooms were unlocked at set times. The second day started with the “Opening Words” by Orlie Gruper, Executive Advisor of EcoMotion, on the main stage. This stage was followed throughout the day by fireside chats, interviews and presentations on the most important topics of smart mobility. VDA President Hildegard Müller was also a speaker, laying out the connections between the German automotive industry and the Israeli startup ecosystem. The content that followed covered infrastructure development, the new era of electrification, the shift to the new age of smart mobility, and of course a discussion about the new cyber security regulations of UNECE WP.29, which pose major challenges to the automotive industry, was not to be missed. We at magility have already reported on this several times. Our startup partner Argus Cyber Security, one of the world’s best-known automotive cyber security companies, has been preparing for these regulations for years and has already implemented the necessary measures in its products.
Groundbreaking technologies through connectivity
The conference continued with presentations on autonomous driving, e.g. how connectivity can be taken to the next level and the role of the aftermarket as a target market. The presentations repeatedly emphasized how important cooperations in a wide variety of fields are becoming today in order to accelerate innovations. It was also reported how a whole new area of value creation can be opened up through the networking of data, starting with development and continuing through production to the vehicle on the road or the condition of the road itself. What was clearly emphasized was how urban mobility is becoming the central theme of startups. Public-private partnerships are accelerating future mobility and EV solutions in this context, more and more flanked by political institutions.
Tracking electromagnetic radiation
Also under discussion were the increasing electromagnetic challenges in the automotive industry. The magility startup partner VHOLA from Israel, for example, is dedicated to this very special field of electromagnetic radiation.
The patent-pending VHOLA technology enables predictive maintenance of vehicle performance by permanently measuring magnetic and electromagnetic emissions throughout the life of a vehicle. From the permanent measurement, an algorithm is derived that leads to corrective actions for an emitting ECU, thereby also minimizing passenger exposure to high magnetic field levels. VHOLA’s solution provides continuous magnetic field feedback and shares all measurements and corrective actions with the car manufacturer via the telecommunication unit to enable continuous improvement and regulation.
Overview of other core EcoMotion Week topics
Many other core topics were discussed at the EcoMotion Week. These included automotive disruption and the Israeli smart mobility ecosystem. The question of how the transformation of public transport to Mobility as a Service (MaaS) could succeed was raised many times. Very closely related to this is the search for the shape of micromobility in the city.
The Corona pandemic with its effects literally forced the topic of the sustainability of automotive supply chains onto EcoMotion, with the question arising in this context of how logistics in all its aspects is to be generally redefined in the future. Smart Logistics is becoming a decisive factor for success. The exchange of ideas on the further spread of electromobility also took up a great deal of space, with particular discussion of global approaches to solutions for the necessary EV infrastructure, without the spread of which there is a threat of stagnation. In order to be able to master the challenges arising from the range of topics presented, enormous investments in mobility will also be necessary in 2021, whereby the safety of the interacting systems is of very central importance. Just one example is antiviral technology, which is the basis of all safe mobility already in the present and even more so in the future. And, of course, there is the question of the future interaction of cloud and edge computing, the answer to which is also important for the needs of autonomous driving cars of levels 4 and 5.
After a morning rich in presentations, there was room for B2B conversations on the Main Stage, and the Live Expo Morning Session opened on the Startup Stage. On the Open Stage, all community members of the fair had the opportunity to present themselves to the other fair participants with a 20-second video. At the Meet & Greet session, a limited number of virtual rooms were available for people to connect and discuss current topics as well as make new contacts and initiate collaborations.
Virtual booths and live demos
At the virtual booths, everyone could get up-to-date information about the startups, watch live demos as well as participate in interactive sessions at certain times. Via the internal B2B Area, all participants had the opportunity to network with each other, set meetings and chat live. We at magility also made intensive use of these opportunities and got to know many new technologies and high-tech startups, which we will be happy to report on in the next article.
The EcoMotion Week is and remains one of the most important virtual trade fairs for getting to know the latest innovations of startups and the players behind them, picking up fresh impulses and integrating them into new business models, so that we can continue to act on the pulse of smart mobility in the future. Please feel free to contact us about this.
