Share North
From Green Deal for Carsharing to Shared Mobility in Real Estate Developments: Getting to Know SHARE-North Partner Advier
How does Advier approach sustainable shared mobility in the Netherlands?
Advier approaches sustainable, shared mobility in the Netherlands through the country’s networks and community marketing. They have an emphasis on car-sharing as part of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and more specifically, Mobihubs (Mobipunt in Dutch), which are often implemented in our area development project.
What are the company’s plans with Mobihubs? When would you like to install them and where?
Last year, Advier organized a Mobihub Academy in Delft to share development concepts and an advising program for stakeholders seeking to integrate shared mobility into housing developments, as well as municipalities who want to adapt better parking strategies into their towns. Currently, there are several interested municipalities who are developing their own sustainable mobility projects along with the Mobihub idea. Additionally, Advier consults with the province of Noord Holland to introduce Mobihubs to stakeholders in more rural areas. You can find out more about Mobihubs by visiting the website: mobipunt.net.
How do you share Mobihub information to the public? What’s your pitch?
The organization shares the idea of Mobihubs through inspiration sessions, supported by the website Mobipunt.net and a variety of booklets and promotional materials. We pitch the concept to private and public organizations to help address various mobility problems and transition towards more sustainable, shared modes of transport. Additionally, the SHARE-North website also helps share information to the public about the project’s initiatives and progress.
How do think Dutch cycle culture will be impacted by other forms of sustainable mobility?
We don’t think cyclists are looking for alternative modes of transportation in the Netherlands. Most people have a normal bike they use for everyday use and few ride an e-bike for longer cycling trips. When having to make the decision on which mode of transportation to take, the question of convenience comes first (Can I walk, bike, or take a tram or bus? Or drive?). On the contrary, different questions may be asked in more rural areas of the country. From recent interviews, Advier learned that an e-bike together with a shared cargo bike would be a good alternative for the second car.
Many countries and cities are envious of the Netherland’s cycling culture and look towards the country for inspiration. What would you share with governments or citizens who are looking at incorporating a cycle culture?
Start with infrastructure (like protected bike lanes). Get kids cycling when they are young so they can learn and see the benefits of cycling quickly (fun, healthy, & fast)!
What role does the company play alongside real estate and mobility?
Advier consults many different organizations, like housing developers and cities regarding sustainable mobility and its answer to address a variety of spatial and traffic concerns. They implement mobility as a real estate service. Additionally, the company also constructs business cases and advises city planners on topics such as car-sharing.
What is Advier’s involvement with the Dutch Green Deal Autodelen II?
Currently, Advier is the Secretariat and a partner in the Dutch Green Deal Autodelen II (Dutch Green Carsharing Deal). The purpose of the Green Deal is to encourage companies, governments, and citizens to fulfill in their mobility needs in a way that makes maximum use of the possibilities that car-sharing concepts offer. The parties involved wish to achieve a network of 100,000 shared cars in 2021 and a population of 700,000 car-sharing users. This can result in a CO₂ reduction of 8 to 13% per car-sharer. The parties also strive to reduce the number of parking places, so in urban areas more space becomes available for green areas and recreation and for mobility modalities that don’t contain harmful emissions. The idea is to achieve the plan’s goals within a 3 year timeframe and also spread its influence and initiatives to other areas, such as neighboring Belgium. Advier promotes such actions by writing a minimum of two car-sharing articles annually, as well as sharing their knowledge and experience about car-sharing that they gain through a variety of EU projects. Additionally, Advier contributes to the Shared Mobility Rocks event which is organized by the Belgian SHARE-North partners, Autodelen.net and Taxistop. The Shared Mobility Rocks event is an international conference with the theme consisting of all forms of shared mobility, with an important role for car-sharing and innovation. Both organizations, Advier and Autodelen.net, are committed to an International Green Deal or shared mobility concept to achieve car-sharing. Currently, Advier is committing itself to promote and implement the Mobihub concept.
How does Advier view Mobility as a Service (MaaS)?
The company views MaaS not just as an app to check transportation timetables or purchase tickets, but as a way of helping riders get where they need to go through the use of Google technology. Advier’s founder, Minze Walvius, shares his vision of MaaS technology as “speaking to Google Maps about the location a user wants to go to and Google’s AI tech helps bring them to the best place on-time and supplements this with the best form of transportation. Google will guide the user from one place to another.” He also believes that the public can expect the first prototypes of this technology in 3 to 4 years, respectively. Currently, Advier is in negotiation with local Dutch housing developers and pension funds that invest in housing. Advier plans to build a multi-vendor purchasing platform for mobility service(s), including MaaS and all the transport means for the households.
What attracted Advier to SHARE-North?
We’re happy to be part of a variety of unique EU projects where Advier has the opportunity to build new partnerships and also be involved in the sharing and transferring of knowledge, which is a wonderful asset to a small company like Advier.
What have been some highlights of being part of the project? With what you’ve learned, what have you brought back and implemented city and/or country wide?
Since joining the SHARE-North project, conceptualizing the idea of Mobihubs with other project partners has been one of the most fun and rewarding efforts so far. Additionally, meeting and interacting with each other outside the formal business setting has also contributed to the consortium’s success (a 3-year extension!) and sense of cooperation.
What do you think has been the biggest advantage of working transnationally?
The biggest advantage of working transnationally has been getting out of your own realm of work and seeing endeavors in other countries that provide a wide range of new perspectives. We’re a hardworking, close-knit group of professionals who specialize in a collection of areas and most importantly, have fun while contributing to a sustainable future.
Can you share some information about the SHARE-North extension?
The Interreg North Sea Region Programme has shown confidence in the effectiveness of work that SHARE-North has produced and, therefore, all partners agreed to apply to continue the project for another 3 years (until December 2021). The application to extend the project was approved by the Interreg NSR Programme in December 2018. The consortium has been joined by an additional partner,the UK-based bike-sharing and carclub-focused NGO CoMoUK. Also, Advier developed a real estate program during the first few years of the project and now with the addition of the extension, have the ability to actually construct such ideas in the Netherlands.