This letter proposes creating a network of open source pioneers to change mobility across Europe. It notes that innovation processes and support schemes need to change to keep up with rapidly changing innovations. Recent major innovations that changed mobility, like Uber and Blablacar, came from unknown entrepreneurs without business models. The letter proposes that each stakeholder receive contextualized help to align dynamics and support entrepreneurs. Four organizations are investing in open source fields to change mobility and the letter invites other private or public stakeholders to join this pioneering network. It also suggests the European Commission could play a role in catalyzing the network and leveraging open source.

1.
Letter of Interest
A network of Open Source Pioneers
for changing mobility across Europe
Processes of innovations are changing, fast. And we need to change to way people are
moving, fast.
Today innovations that change mobility are not in contact with a public structure
neither national nor at European level. Innovation processes are changing. Innovation
support schemes need to change too. Innovation can be defined as an invention that
meets a market and changes how people are moving. In order to have an impact,
innovations need to be massive and largely used, to solve main problems (congestion,
energy, pollution, equity). Financial incentive provided by public structure can be
counterproductive for innovation as we cannot support unknown entrepreneur and
risky projects without business model.
The most recent innovations that meet their market are coming from unknown
entrepreneurs without business model. And these innovations change the way people
are moving at large scale like Uber, Flixbus or Blablacar. Each stakeholder (startup,
industry, lab, school, city) need contextualized help to align dynamics and help
entrepreneurs. Open resources facilitate the action of intrapreneurs and the entry of
small actors who use them to prototype and test their ideas, they also reduce the
burden for an actor to maintain a resource . 1
Four pioneers are investing open source fields to change mobility : Open Source Lab in
Germany, Fondazione per lo sviluppo sostenibile in Italy, Travelspirit in UK and
FabMob in France, Quebec and Africa.
1. We aim to create a strong network across Europe and beyond​ to empower all
entrepreneurs with open source and we need to involve all positive energies !
2. You’re a private or public stakeholder (startup, industry, lab, school, city). ​You
want to join this pioneering network and act in open source to change mobility :
Mail
3. European Commission can play a major role to catalyse this network, ​to
leverage open source and better use public budgets by producing strategic open
resources useful for european entrepreneurs.
1
Our ​White Paper on Open Innovation for Changing Mobility across Europe