Transport for London (TfL) has appointed that Mercedes-Benz AG and Sopra Steria to make informed solutions on key transport challenges such as achieving sustainability, making public transport safer and helping services become more efficient and reliable.
The new partnership is part of TfL’s new Innovation Collaboration Framework (ICF). Through this framework, TfL and the innovation partners will work together to create new concepts and products to help improve how people move around the city.
Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said:
“Making London’s transport network safer and more sustainable is a key priority for the Mayor, which is why we welcome this new framework”.
Unlike conventional procurement, the ICF allows TfL and the selected innovators to work on the most challenging problems as they emerge, taking a solution from concept to scale.
Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of luxury passenger cars, aspiring to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software.
Sopra Steria is a purpose-led digital transformation specialist with considerable knowledge and expertise within the transport sector. This includes partnering with TfL to provide a range of innovative services, such as London’s world-leading traffic management system.
Thomas Ableman, Director of Strategy and Innovation at TfL, said:
“TfL has ambitious goals to make London a more sustainable city. Neither Londoners nor the climate crisis will wait, so we need to move faster than ever before. The Innovation Collaboration Framework is a completely new way for us to work with the innovation marketplace and we’re really excited to welcome Mercedes-Benz AG and Sopra Steria as partners on this exciting new journey.”
The two partners will also be able to reach out to other innovators including start-ups, academics, and small/medium enterprises to harness their ideas and expertise.
