Conference brings basis of smart urban mobility solutions

SUMS 2017 is co-located with All-Energy the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference, and is sponsored by All-Energy’s headline sponsor, Shepherd and Wedderburn. The admission is free of charge to all with relevant professional/ business interests, and is open online now. SUMS 2017 is aimed at representatives from cites, local/regional/national governments and authorities, as well as transport authorities; city and transport infrastructure contractors; decision makers and advisors from private ventures; large utility groups; and technologists.

Packed conference programme
Humza Yousaf MSP will be speaking at 11:00am at a session ’Transport in Scotland: Now and in the next 10 years’ master-minded by Transport Scotland, that will be chaired by their Chief executive, Roy Brannen. He explained: “Transport Scotland is the national transport agency for Scotland. Our role is both to deliver the transport infrastructure to meet Scotland’s needs and to develop the strategic framework that informs this. The next ten years will be challenging and exciting.” 

They challenge those planning to attend the session: “We want to hear from you about how you think the next ten years should unfold. We want to maximise the opportunities for debate and comment, so we’ll be looking for audience contributions during the session. We will look to frame discussion around four ‘PechaKucha’ style presentations on: strategy, future demands, technology and the environment.

Transport Scotland speakers include Heather Cowan,Head of Transport Strategy and European Funding; Alison Irvine, Head of Technical Analysis; Archie Stoddart, Head of the Sustainable Transport Unit; andStephen Thomson, Head of Environment and Sustainability. The session ends with a presentation from the Energy Saving Trust delivered by Marina Bauer.

Forty speakers will be taking part in SUMS 2017 over the two days. Other free-to-attend sessions include two on ‘What smart cities are doing’ (including looking at Glasgow; the UK’s Core Cities; London; Dundee; and further afield – thanks to Richard Bellingham, Director, Institute for Future Cities, University of Strathclyde, who will consider ‘Cities at home and overseas’).

There are single 90-minute sessions on’ Connected and autonomous vehicles’ in which speakers include Lucy Yu, Head of Innovation and New Mobility Services, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, and Robert Llewellyn of ‘Fully Charged’ and Red Dwarf fame (he will be filming at All-Energy and SUMS 2017);  ‘Powering from renewables’ and ‘Keep charging on: fuelling the future – now.”

Vehicles on display in the exhibition include Tesla’s Model S and Model X; BMW’s i3, i8 and new 5 series; Citroen’s C-Zero and a Berlingo electric van; Peugeot’s Ion and a Partner van; the Mirai from Toyota, Soul from Kia, Zoe from Renault and Ioniq from Hyundai.  Nissan will be bringing a Leaf and a LC van; with more vehicles expected to join the SUMS 2017 fleet during the final week before the show.

Students from both Strathclyde University and the University of the West of Scotland will bring fuel efficient vehicles they have designed for the Shell Eco-marathon Europe (to be held in London at the end of the month).  

Glasgow Museum will be bringing a rare Honda Insight Mk1 from 2000 to the show. It is one of only 239 Mk1s sold in the UK and was the first hybrid car to be acquired for the city’s renowned transport and travel collection.

Additionally All-Energy speaker Marc van Grieken and fellow members of the Shaky Team will be raising money for Parkinson’s UK by static cycling using a Pedelectrics bike.