Invited by Theo and David of the Go-Ahead Group, the UK's largest bus and train operator, to give the keynote at its annual Billion Journey Project event in London.
Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
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Matthew was invited by Theo and David to give this year's keynote at the Go-Ahead Group's annual Billion Journey Project event in London. Go-Ahead is the UK's largest bus and train operator, and most British people will have used its services at one time or another. As transport turns into "Mobility as a Service", Go-Ahead became the first organisation in its sector to build and scale its own innovation accelerator and ecosystem.
The Billion Journey Project aims to touch and improve the 1.2 billion journeys people take every year on the company's multi-modal transport network. The event marked the coming of age of its second cohort, with group CEO David Brown presenting seven of the ten start-ups with contracts that, in time, will help the company realise its ambition of going ticketless.
"The Billion Journey Project shows how today just one idea can transform over a billion journeys a year, and clearly demonstrates the power of ecosystems and open thinking."Matthew Griffin, London, December 2018
Matthew's keynote shone a light on the powerful emerging technologies that are increasingly turning science fiction into science fact. He walked the audience through the Future of Disruption: how organisations can use it to their advantage, and what it means for the individual industries that will soon bear the brunt of it.
For a transport operator already backing start-ups at scale, the session's theme was the power of ecosystems and open thinking, and how today a single idea can transform over a billion journeys a year.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Ecosystems beat going it alone.
Go-Ahead became the first in its sector to build and scale its own innovation accelerator and ecosystem. Seven of the ten start-ups in the second cohort received contracts. A leadership team should ask which outside ideas it can bring in, not only which it can build.
Transport is becoming a service.
Mobility as a Service is a trend 311 rates as Prepare, with wide use expected by 2030. Integrated travel apps face lasting barriers, while robotaxi services offer a new route to car-free travel. An operator with 1.2 billion journeys a year has a strong base, but it must keep moving.
One idea can reach a billion.
Power of the Individual is rated Act now, with wide use expected by 2020. Global platforms let one person start and run companies alone. Open banking shows a similar pattern, as countries force banks to share customer data. Open thinking lets small teams reach very large customer bases.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which outside start-ups could our organisation back, contract or learn from this year?
Where could one good idea reach our whole customer base?
How open is our data, and who else could build on it?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It shows that disruption is best met with an ecosystem and open thinking. Go-Ahead backs start-ups at scale and gives them contracts. Other organisations can copy the approach and test new ideas against their own industry before disruption arrives.
How does Mobility as a Service relate to this keynote?
Go-Ahead says transport is turning into Mobility as a Service. 311 rates the trend as Prepare, with wide use expected by 2030. Robotaxi services offer a new route to car-free travel, so operators must plan for it.
How does the Power of the Individual relate to this keynote?
The session's theme was that a single idea can transform over a billion journeys a year. This trend, rated Act now, shows how global platforms let one person start and run companies alone. Small teams can now challenge large operators.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. Sessions are held in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Whole industries could soon be disrupted in a day.
The Future of Exponential Disruption sets out the forces accelerating global disruption and how close we are to disrupting whole industries in a day. For transport operators like Go-Ahead, it shows why open innovation now matters more than ever.
