TInnGO: Transport Innovation Gender Observatory

Context

Studies have shown how men’s and women’s travel patterns differ and how different access to transport is a major producer of gender inequality. In fact, women face higher risks and burdens than men in transport, due to unequal access to resources, education, job opportunities, and entrenched socio-cultural norms.

Previous studies and strategies have demonstrated the importance of changing European transport in order to meet the ambition of a safe, efficient, technologically advanced, sustainable and accessible transport system. Issues of gender and transport have come to the fore as an important target for providing all European citizens with equal access to life opportunities.

Unfortunately, the vast body of knowledge and numerous policy recommendations have not led to any groundbreaking changes in European transport priorities or policies. At both European and national levels, there are still serious gaps when it comes to recognition and inclusion of gender aspects in transport strategies, research, and innovation. Similar problems apply to transport as a labour market which faces serious gender gaps with women making up only 22% of transport workers in Europe (EuroStat 2017).

Summary and objectives

The main objective of the project is to create a framework and mechanisms for a sustainable game change in European transport through a transformative strategy of gender and diversity sensitive smart mobility. To achieve this, the project will create a Transport Innovation Gender Observatory (TInnGO).

This initiative will also include 10 national hubs and associated ‘ideas factories’ (TInnGIdLabs: TInnGO Innovation Labs) covering Sweden/Denmark, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France, Germany, Romania, Lithuania (+ Baltic states). Each national hub will address issues of local importance in gender and diversity sensitive smart mobility.

TInnGO will address contemporary challenges (such as employment, education and prevalent male-dominated STEM -science, technology, engineering, and mathematics- cultures) and future mobility scenarios (e.g. Internet of Things, connected and autonomous vehicles, civilian drones for last mile delivery) in EU transport strategies.

An intersectional analysis will be applied to scrutinize both inequality and privilege in transport and mobility. The TInnGO project will use newly generated and legacy transport data, to show the prevalence of transport poverty experienced by women and traditionally hard to reach groups (e.g. those with (hidden) disabilities, economically disadvantaged and ethnic groups).

In that sense, TInnGO recognises the huge gender inequalities in current transport provision, documented in previous work and the knowledge from previous projects. TInnGO aims to combine existing tools and knowledge with new data, approaches, and strategies.

The pragmatic approach of this project will combine qualitative, quantitative and design research methods in multiple locations combining hands-on knowledge, concrete actions, and best practices to develop gender and diversity sensitive smart mobility solutions which fit local conditions. The evidence-based approach can be implemented in future European and national transport strategies, and the network of hubs extended across Europe and the world.

To reach these ambitions, the central objectives of TInnGO can be spelled out in four specific and integrated targets.

1) To advance Smart Mobility through the concrete tools of Gender Mainstreaming.

Gender mainstreaming refers to how a gender perspective can be integrated into all policy and planning processes. Through this strategy, TInnGO will explore both the potentials and limitations of upcoming smart modes of transport. TInnGO will spotlight female entrepreneurship and codesign as emerging fields in transport and SM-related employment and innovation.

2) Knowledge Production and Data Modelling

TInnGO will create an accessible and interrogatable open source data repository (C-Dare) and use (real-time) survey tools to augment existing data sets in TInnGO cities, accessible through the TInnGO observatory.

3) Guidelines for Gender Action Plans

TInnGO will formulate a range of recommendations and good practices of Gender Action Plans (GAPs) in the transport sector in order to create a new and robust infrastructure for data collection, knowledge production and actual implementation in the field of gender smart mobility.

4) Policy strategies

A final TInnGO objective is to open a Policy Window for Gender Smart Mobility in the provision of proximity between stakeholders at both regional and European levels.

Consortium

20 partners from 13 European countries

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (United Kingdom) – Project coordinator

INSTITUTO TECNÓLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGÍSTICA (Spain)

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET (Denmark)

VTM-CONSULTORES EM ENGENHARIA E PLANEAMENTO LDA (Portugal)

F. K. LIOTOPOULOS KAI SIA EE (Greece)

INTERACTIONS LIMITED (Ireland)

Integral Consulting R&D (Romania)

SMART CONTINENT LT UAB (Lithuania)

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET ILMENAU (Germany)

LEVER S.A. DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS (Greece)

SOCIETAL Travel CIC (United Kingdom)

POLITECNICO DI TORINO (Italy)

LGI CONSULTING SARL (France)

SIGNOSIS SPRL (Belgium)

STATENS VAG- OCH TRANSPORTFORSKNINGSINSTITUT (Sweden)

plan&rat (Germany)

MUNICIPALITY OF ALBA IULIA (Romania)

EMEL – EMPRESA PUBLICA MUNICIPAL DE ESTACIONAMENTO DE LISBOA, E.E.M. (Portugal)

COMUNE DI TORINO (Italy)

WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY (United Kingdom)

Workshop on ‘Success stories of female executives and entrepreneurs’

Online conference – How to become an entrepreneur in the transport sector? Which steps to take (and which not to take) to succeed