Toyota Mobility Foundation Unveils Semi-Finalists for Venice’s Sustainable Cities Challenge

Toyota Mobility Foundation Unveils Semi-Finalists for Venice’s Sustainable Cities Challenge

(IN BRIEF) The Toyota Mobility Foundation has announced ten semi-finalists for its Sustainable Cities Challenge in Venice, part of a $9 million global initiative to promote low and zero-carbon transport. Selected from over 120 global entries, the semi-finalists will each receive $50,000 to refine solutions aimed at increasing sustainable transport adoption, such as active mobility, public transit, and shared mobility. The program, developed with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute, emphasizes real-world testing and resident-focused innovations to improve urban mobility. The initiative aspires to inspire cities worldwide to adopt sustainable practices.

(PRESS RELEASE) VENICE, 10-Dec-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The Toyota Mobility Foundation has announced the ten semi-finalists for its Sustainable Cities Challenge in Venice, Italy. In partnership with the City of Venice, Challenge Works, and the World Resources Institute, this initiative aims to identify innovative solutions that promote low and zero-carbon transportation modes in Venice, known globally as the “City of Water.”

Launched in June 2024, the Venice Challenge is part of the $9 million global Sustainable Cities Challenge, which also includes Detroit, Michigan, and Varanasi, India. With over 120 entries from innovators worldwide, ten semi-finalists were chosen to receive $50,000 implementation grants to refine their solutions for adoption in Venice. These innovations focus on increasing active mobility, public transport usage, and shared mobility while addressing behavior change in transportation habits.

The Ten Semi-Finalists:
The selected innovators include organizations such as Betterpoints Ltd, which promotes eco-friendly behavior change; Bikeloop AS, specializing in smart bicycle parking systems; Instant System SAS, a leader in Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms; and UrbanTide Limited, which leverages AI-driven data analysis for sustainable transport solutions. Other participants include Nudgd AB, My House Geek Pty Ltd, Kooling Technologies Limited, and Factual Consulting SL, all focusing on various aspects of sustainable mobility, from behavior nudges to active transport infrastructure.

Monica Perez Lobo, Director at Toyota Mobility Foundation Europe, emphasized the transformative potential of the Challenge, stating, “Even small changes in transportation habits can lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions, enhancing the quality of urban life. We hope the results from Venice will inspire other cities worldwide to adopt similar practices.”

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, highlighted the importance of real-world testing: “Sustainable transport solutions go beyond technology; they involve understanding the needs of residents and how they interact with transport systems.”

Ben Welle, Director of Integrated Transport and Innovation at the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, remarked, “The resulting innovations will directly benefit Venice and potentially provide scalable solutions for cities worldwide.”

The Sustainable Cities Challenge, funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation, is designed to address urban mobility challenges globally, leveraging the expertise of Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute to foster impactful innovation.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Cities Challenge website.

About the Sustainable Cities Challenge

The Sustainable City Challenge is a two-stage, three-year $9 million global opportunity for cities and innovators. The Sustainable Cities Challenge will be delivered over two stages:

Stage 1: Call to cities 
The Challenge sought cities who wish to host City Challenges in 2024 – 2025. In November 2023, ten shortlisted cities received a range of capacity building support to help them understand the issue they want to solve and attract innovators to provide solutions. By May 2024, three cities were selected to host City Challenges to find solutions for local mobility challenges.

Stage 2: Call to Innovators via 3 City Challenges
Working with Venice, Varanasi, and Detroit, the Sustainable Cities Challenge team supported by designing local City Challenges which launched between May and June 2024. Each City Challenge offers up to $3 million in funding to innovators.
Host Cities held open calls for entries from innovators via their City Challenge with the support of the Sustainable Cities Challenge team. Together, they selected their semi-finalists and finalists to test their solutions in 2024-2025. In 2026, final awards will be given to winners in each host city to continue to implement and grow their solutions.

About Toyota Mobility Foundation

The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) was established in August 2014 by the Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely. The Foundation underscores Toyota’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and respect for people. It utilises Toyota’s expertise and technologies to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. TMF works in partnership with universities, governments, non-profits, research institutions and other organisations, creating programs that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address mobility issues around the world.

In the past, TMF has led a range of Challenges, including the global Mobility Unlimited Challenge, CATCH in Malaysia, InoveMob Challenge in Brazil and STAMP Challenge in India.

You can find out more about TMF and how it is governed at toyotamobilityfoundation.org

About Challenge Works

For a decade, Challenge Works has established itself as a global leader in designing and delivering high-impact challenges to incentivise cutting-edge innovation for social good. Challenge Works is a social enterprise founded by the UK’s innovation agency Nesta. In the last 10 years, they have run almost 100 prizes, distributed over £245 million in funding, and engaged with more than 13,000 innovators. Challenge Works believes no challenge is unsolvable, partnering with non-profits, governments, and other organisations around the globe to unearth the entrepreneurs and their innovations that can solve the greatest challenges of our time.

Visit them at https://challengeworks.org/

About World Resources Institute

World Resources Institute (WRI) is global research with offices in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, and regional offices for Africa and Europe. WRI’s 1,700 staff work with partners to develop practical solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive.

Learn more: WRI.org and on Twitter @WorldResources.

Media Contact:

Robert Tickner
Head, Corporate & Product Communications
robert.tickner@toyota-europe.com
+32 2 745 5279

SOURCE: Toyota