A completely different world awaits transport. An evolving and interesting future where transport will be at the forefront of all ongoing businesses, be it electric vehicles, green hydrogen trucks, green hydrogen ships, green ammonia ships, electric airplanes, and unmanned technologies in all modes of transport. Not to mention the new professions, jobs and the transformation of skills and competences that will take place throughout the transport industry.
Earlier on this year, the Foundation for Transport ran a survey with the members of two of its cofounders, the Malta Employers’ Association and the Malta Chamber of SMEs, and those of the Gozo Business Chamber to test the appetite for investment in green technologies, assess the knowledge and understanding of green technology, gauging the understanding of the impact of adoption of green technologies within their business. The survey results were unequivocal. Green technologies are considered to be the future in the transport industry. Industry players do want to go for it but they need to understand more by participating in pilot projects to obtain first-hand information of the impact on their day-to-day operations, logistics and cost-benefit correlation.
75 per cent of the respondents were small and micro enterprises. 88 per cent declared they do not know enough about 2030 and 2050 green objectives and 72 per cent declared they have not yet adopted any policies in relation to green technology. 83 per cent believe the best assistance to transition to green technologies is through government schemes and 85 per cent consider the most beneficial schemes are the ones tied to investment in green technologies. 37 per cent of the respondents declared their respective company would be interested in contributing to a greener transport industry by undertaking pilot projects and 45 per cent would like to do it as part of their corporate social responsibility policies.
Industry players would like to be involved, would like to be prepared and would like to study challenges though gradual and monitored introduction of green innovative technologies. In response to this outcry, this week, the Foundation for Transport is launching a three-month pilot project between locally established enterprises to measure the impact of the introduction of electric vehicles into the logistics, day-to-day operations and finances of the enterprise.
Launching pilot project between locally established enterprises to measure impact of introduction of electric vehicles into logistics, day-to-day operations and finances of the enterprise
Performance will be measured through periodic feedback reports based on four criteria. It is important to identify whether the electric vehicles introduced are fitting the purpose from an operations and logistics perspectives, whether the staff complement has confidence in the use of these vehicles or whether training is required, the costs and benefits of this adoption and adapting to the use of electrification in the business world.
This pilot project will add value to the entrepreneurs’ direct and indirect experience of the transport industry as they can gauge first-hand experience on how electrification impacts the business, can understand safety through gained confidence, gain understanding of what works best for their company, identify skills gaps and seek solutions to meet training requirements.
The Foundation for Transport will also have first-hand data upon which it can devise a longer term and more extensive outreach to various enterprises. It is the intention of the foundation to source various funding opportunities and business partners, also from other EU member states.
Consequently, the foundation has exposure to best practices in implementation of similar pilot projects can engage into clean energy transitions initiatives for transport industry entrepreneurs, provides knowledge and experience of a comprehensive transport model for data analysis of similar pilot projects and can source research involving case studies undertaken throughout the European Union in sustainable mobility in the commercial sector.
The Foundation for Transport has been established to assist in exposing the employers and employees in the transport industry to new and cleaner technologies and act as a catalyst to various initiatives and pilot projects that educate, create awareness, reskill and upskill.
The foundation believes it can achieve this target in a very natural and dynamic manner as it has an extensive cofounder base: the Malta Chamber of SMEs, the Malta College of Art, Science and Technology, Malta Employers Association, Malta Enterprise and Transport Malta. Together with industry representatives, the Foundation links vocational education, the transport regulator together with Malta’s economic development agency. The Foundation is well placed from its core to disseminate information and best practices very easily and collaborate with policy makers to convey a realistic and holistic picture.
The Foundation of Transport has been set up to work with all stakeholders so that everyone is involved and well prepared in the short, medium and long terms. Besides building a robust work set-up complementing its raison d’etre and mission, the Foundation for Transport can be followed on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn and www.fft.mt. Together we can work for a sustainable future in transport. Adapting to innovation in transport can be a game changer.