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Byte Size

Byte Size

By Compass IOT

Conversations with innovators and business leaders in transport and smart cities.
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What Blind Spots Can Teach Us About Transport Innovation | Interview with Cecilia Warren

Byte SizeMar 18, 2024

00:00
19:23
What Blind Spots Can Teach Us About Transport Innovation | Interview with Cecilia Warren

What Blind Spots Can Teach Us About Transport Innovation | Interview with Cecilia Warren

This interview is part of a special collaboration between Byte Size and the Institute of Transport and Logistic Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice from the University of Sydney.

Cecilia has 20 years’ experience in corporate, government and research settings across transport, insurance, health, defence and education. She is an independent non-executive director of the national transport research centre, iMOVE Australia, and serves on the Board of Advice for the Institute for Transport & Logistics Studies (ITLS)

What you’ll learn:

  • Parallels between blind spots on the road and blind spots in innovation

  • Understanding the 2-speed processes within industry and research organisations and between them

  • Trends in transport innovation and business applications

  • About the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) board of advice

Mar 18, 202419:23
Welcome Aboard: How Passion Drives Progress in Aviation | Interview with Todd Chapman

Welcome Aboard: How Passion Drives Progress in Aviation | Interview with Todd Chapman

This interview is part of a special collaboration between Byte Size and the Institute of Transport and Logistic Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice from the University of Sydney.

Todd Chapman is the Principal of Leading Edge Management Consulting, an aviation-based consulting practice that works with organisations that require strategic level operational, commercial and leadership development solutions. Leading Edge also provides industry advisory services that supports aviation-related organisations with Board-level insight and guidance.

What you’ll learn:

  • How the aviation industry has changed over the last 30 years

  • What's the next big thing to disrupt aviation and commercial flights

  • About ITLS and the board of advice

Mar 04, 202432:13
Innovating at the Edges: Saving Lives with Vehicle-Generated Data | Interview with Dr Sarah Dods

Innovating at the Edges: Saving Lives with Vehicle-Generated Data | Interview with Dr Sarah Dods

Dr Sarah Dods (she/her) is a technologist, maven, and intrapreneurial leader. Sarah currently leads GHD’s Advanced Analytics and AI practice for the Southern Hemisphere. By background, she is a PhD qualified Physicist/Electrical Engineer with 20+ years of experience spanning Australia’s “deep-tech” innovation system.


What you'll learn:

  • What is connected vehicle or vehicle-generated data?
  • How GHD is using vehicle data to pioneer road safety
  • What are some of the limitations or challenges in leveraging connected vehicle data effectively?
  • Lessons and the future: challenges and limitations


Feb 12, 202428:52
Connecting People and Place Through Community Transport | Interview with Vivienne Cunningham-Smith

Connecting People and Place Through Community Transport | Interview with Vivienne Cunningham-Smith

Vivienne has over thirty years’ experience in the human services sector having worked at the executive level in child and family and primary health services in both Victoria and New South Wales. She is now the CEO of EV Strengthening Communities, a community-based program supporting those who are transport vulnerable. 


What you’ll learn:

  • About EV Strengthening Communities

  • The value of community transport programs in enabling mobility, equity, and connection for vulnerable groups.

  • How informal volunteerism takes many forms and is crucial for community well-being.

  • Shifts in volunteer motivations and opportunities post-pandemic.

  • Practical advice for those looking to get involved.

Jan 22, 202422:27
Building the right infrastructure, at the right place, at the right time | Interview with David Tucker

Building the right infrastructure, at the right place, at the right time | Interview with David Tucker

This interview is part of a special collaboration between Byte Size and the Institute of Transport and Logistic Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice from the University of Sydney.


David Tucker is Infrastructure Australia’s Chief of Project Advisory & Evaluation. He is responsible for assessing business cases that are seeking more than $250 million in funding from the Australian Government, and for maintaining the Infrastructure Priority List, which provides a long-term pipeline of high-quality infrastructure proposals to guide government investment.


What you'll learn:

  • About Infrastructure Australia
  • How has the Infrastructure Australia Assessment Framework evolved?
  • How is Infrastructure Australia involved in the ITLS board and why is it important?


Dec 04, 202316:60
Stability with Agility: building resilient supply chains | Interview with Carlee McGowan

Stability with Agility: building resilient supply chains | Interview with Carlee McGowan

This interview is part of a special collaboration between Byte Size and the Institute of Transport and Logistic Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice from the University of Sydney.


Carlee presently serves as the Supply Chain Director at Pernod Ricard Pacific, where she has also held a seat on the ITLS Board of Advice for ten years. With a wealth of experience spanning over three decades in the realm of consumer Supply Chains, Carlee is driven by a fervent commitment to uncovering novel and inventive methods to enhance not only her own life, but also the lives of those around her.


What you'll learn:

  • How has supply chain and logistics evolved over the last decade?
  • How Pernod Ricard Pacific is involved with the ITLS board of Advice
  • What does the future of our supply chains look like?
Nov 20, 202313:21
Innovating with Purpose: Achieving Targeted Value with Thoughtful Adoption | Interview with James Vincent

Innovating with Purpose: Achieving Targeted Value with Thoughtful Adoption | Interview with James Vincent

James Vincent is the CTO at NCS NEXT Australia, a global digital, data and cloud services consultancy igniting possibilities of their clients and pioneering the solutions of tomorrow today through deep tech capabilities and emerging technologies to impact lives and advance communities. A senior people leader with 25 years’ of commercial IT experience, James is an established authority in large-scale strategic transformation in enterprise environments and delivering business outcomes through technology.


You'll learn:

  • What are the barriers to entry for the adoption of new technology in transport and business?
  • How can we apply new technology in a way that ensures targeted value?
  • What effects do economic factors have on investments in technology?
  • How can we balance scale and growth with long-term business goals?


Aug 28, 202325:17
Digital Twins, Collaborative Wins: Leveraging Data and Diversity for Organisational Success | Interview with jeff sharp

Digital Twins, Collaborative Wins: Leveraging Data and Diversity for Organisational Success | Interview with jeff sharp

Jeff Sharp is an Associate Partner at EY in Australia working in Transport Technology. He has a career that spans the Telecommunications and Transport sectors and is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Australia with a background in leveraging data analytics and machine learning for Transport use cases.

What you’ll learn about:

  • What is a Digital Twin?
  • What is an example of Digital Twin technology?
  • How to leverage non-monetary value exchange to achieve positive outcomes for joint customers?
  • What is the role of different kinds of diversity in organisation success?
Jul 31, 202321:07
Work hard, pave hard: The importance of Road Maintenance | Interview with Lachlan McLean

Work hard, pave hard: The importance of Road Maintenance | Interview with Lachlan McLean

Today’s episode features Lachland McLean, Estimator at Pavement Management Systems in Sydney.

What you'll learn:

  • About Pavement Management Systems
  • What is Road Maintenance + why you should care
  • Challenges faced in maintaining roads
  • How we measure changes in road surfaces
Jul 17, 202318:37
Democratising curb-side Electric Vehicle charging | Interview with Tiya Gordon

Democratising curb-side Electric Vehicle charging | Interview with Tiya Gordon

Tiya holds 20 years of experience in design, leadership, and operations across a range of disciplines for some of the country’s top firms and institutions. She is now venturing to spend the next 20 years on projects that use design to wage war against the Climate Crisis. Tiya's work has received the industry’s top accolades, including The National Design Award from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; the SXSW Innovation Award for Urban Infrastructure; the Inaugural Cannes Gold Lion for Creative Data; the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival; and the designation of the second-most innovative design firm in the world by Fast Company.

What you’ll learn:

  • About It’s Electric and the purpose behind the company

  • The importance of equal access to public electric charging infrastructure

  • Challenges faced in setting up It’s Electric

  • About Movmi and their global EmpowerWISM competition

Jun 19, 202323:36
ITLS Transport Opinion Survey: How has public sentiment towards transport changed? | Interview with David Hensher

ITLS Transport Opinion Survey: How has public sentiment towards transport changed? | Interview with David Hensher

David Hensher is Professor of Management, and Founding Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS): The Australian Key Centre of Teaching and Research in Transport Management in The Business School at The University of Sydney. David has published over 600 papers in leading international transport and economics journals, as well as 16 books. In January 2023, he was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (OA).

David is also responsible for the ITLS Transport Opinion Survey (TOPS). The biannual survey measures the public's opinion on transport-related issues; It’s the only regular national survey that tracks changes in the public's views around public transport.


What you’ll learn:

  • What is the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies?

  • What is the Transport Opinion Survey (TOPS)?

  • Some of the key headline figures from the latest TOPS, released in March 2023

  • How public sentiment towards transport has changed over time and differs between states and territories.

May 29, 202325:51
Enabling data for public transport and last-mile mobility | Interview with Monalisha Thakur

Enabling data for public transport and last-mile mobility | Interview with Monalisha Thakur

Monalisha Thakur is a co-founder and the CMO at Tummoc - the first Made-in-India transit application that provides accurate real-time public transport information, easy ticketing options and last-mile connectivity. Monalisha has over 11 years of experience in high-pressure sales jobs at companies like HCL, AMX, Harman, Crestron & Christie.

What you’ll learn:

  • About Tummoc - an Indian transit application that provides real-time public transport data and last-mile connectivity

  • About Movmi’s global EmpowerWISM competition for women-run mobility businesses

  • The importance of user feedback

  • The importance of finding solutions to the ‘unsexy’ transport and mobility problems

May 08, 202320:08
Tour de Joy: Lowering the barriers to bike ownership | Interview with Kari Anne Solfjeld Eid

Tour de Joy: Lowering the barriers to bike ownership | Interview with Kari Anne Solfjeld Eid

Kari Anne Solfjeld Eid is a designer, founder of Whee!, and activist working to transform urban mobility by lowering the barriers for families to use cargo bikes for everyday trips. Kari Anne was also the winner of the 2023 Movmi global EmpowerWISM program.

What you'll learn:

  • About Whee! and the purpose behind the company
  • Exclusionary cycling culture has a marketing problem
  • About Movmi's global EmpowerWISM mobility program
  • The importance of balancing innovation with the triple-bottom-line
Apr 17, 202326:45
Do Androids Dream of Electric Vehicles? Decarbonisation and the role of EVs | Interview with David Trousdale

Do Androids Dream of Electric Vehicles? Decarbonisation and the role of EVs | Interview with David Trousdale

David is a UK-based mobility transport and EV specialist with a wealth of experience in developing mobility strategies, shaping and procuring mobility solutions, platforms and systems. He is an innovation transport leader in Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Solutions with capabilities across a range of areas including future developments in charging infrastructure, rail, urban design, local and strategic highways.

What you’ll learn:

  • The role of Electric Vehicles in net zero and decarbonisation strategies
  • Challenges facing EV uptake - pressure on energy grids and infrastructure.
  • What is charging utilisation modelling and why it’s important
  • Real-world case study of utilisation modelling for charging infrastructure
Mar 27, 202339:49
One Man's Trash is Another Man's Data | Interview with Dean Calapai

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Data | Interview with Dean Calapai

Dean Calapai is the Global MD & Founder of IntelliTrac - an Australian telematics company specialising in automotive electronics, GPS Telematics, GIS Mapping & Business Mobility Apps.

In this episode you'll learn:

  • What is telematics and how it’s used
  • How telematics is being used to improve your weekly rubbish pick-up
  • How are local councils using telematics data and what this means for communities and Smart Cities
Mar 13, 202315:47
Cyber Security in Tech-enabled Smart Cities | Interview with Charlie Hales

Cyber Security in Tech-enabled Smart Cities | Interview with Charlie Hales

Charlie has worked in the technology sector for nearly 20 years. During this time, she received a degree in Aerospace Engineering and was involved in coding for Black Hawk helicopters. As Managing Director of Waterstons Australia, Charlie has been based in Australia since early 2020. Passionate about all things tech, Charlie has deep experience in cyber security.

What you'll learn:

  • What's involved in Cyber Security?
  • What are we getting right in Australia?
  • Where are the opportunities to improve?
  • How do you respond and recover from a cyber attack?
Nov 07, 202226:33
Truth and Myth: EVs and strata just don't mix | Interview with Amanda Farmer

Truth and Myth: EVs and strata just don't mix | Interview with Amanda Farmer

In this episode, we sat down with Amanda Farmer - a property lawyer, dedicated to helping people who live in strata apartments, and the founder of Your Strata Property.

What you'll learn:

  • Common myths about Electric Vehicles in apartment buildings
  • Resources to find out more about EVs, government incentives, and strata schemes
  • Tips and advice for those who would like to start conversations within their strata or building committees about installing EV infrastructure.
Sep 26, 202227:16
A better place to live: Cultural equity and sustainability in urban design| Interview with Lui Violanti

A better place to live: Cultural equity and sustainability in urban design| Interview with Lui Violanti

How does a building's ‘skin’ make our cities better places to live?

Today’s episode features Lui Violanti, the Regional Manger WA for Inhabit -  an innovative design-led consulting group exclusively focused on providing specialist engineering services. From algae green walls to carbon-capturing concrete and 3D printed biodegradable facades, this episode explores the parts of buildings we often take for granted and how they benefit smart cities.

In this episode you’ll learn about:

  • The role of facades in Smart City design
  • The importance of cultural equity in urban design and buildings
  • Trends in building facades
  • How designers, architects, and construction can work together to deliver better outcomes
Sep 12, 202227:48
Why mistakes and built-in failure are critical for success | Interview with Josh Sattler

Why mistakes and built-in failure are critical for success | Interview with Josh Sattler

A dedicated global strategist, Joshua Sattler is the CEO of Dantia - Lake Macquarie City’s economic development company. He is an accomplished driver of economic development in destinations across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East and America. Josh is responsible for shaping the future of the City of Darwin through planning and delivery of growth and development opportunities that incorporate Smart Cities’ philosophies, digital transformation, economic and tourism development opportunities, climate change, international relations, resilience and environmental improvement opportunities.

What you’ll learn:

  • About Dantia and their role in Lake Macquarie
  • What does ‘smart city’ mean anyway - demystifying terminology and cutting through the snake-oil
  • The importance of public-private partnerships to get things done
  • Why you need to build-in the capacity to make mistakes and
  • Why they are essential to innovation
Jul 11, 202225:18
Dynamism and imagination: The secret to smarter cities | Interview with Morris Misel

Dynamism and imagination: The secret to smarter cities | Interview with Morris Misel

Morris Misel unleashes possibilities for businesses by breaking with convention. For over 30 years he’s influenced the thinking of some of the world’s biggest organisations and brands to see what tomorrow might look like – long before they experience it.

What you’ll learn:

  • The future of the built environment and urban design
  • Opportunities for digital twin technology
  • How we can design more inclusive city spaces
  • The difference between reinventing vs reimagining public spaces
  • How you can adopt a futurist mindset
Jun 20, 202232:49
Is behaviour change the missing link in road safety? | Interview with Robyn Robertson

Is behaviour change the missing link in road safety? | Interview with Robyn Robertson

In this episode, we chat with Robyn Robertson, the President and CEO of The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) - a Canadian-based foundation that works with governments, communities, industries, and road safety organizations to make roads safer and reduce road deaths and injuries. TIRF has worked to improve road safety across Canada by generating and sharing knowledge on current and emerging issues and trends that affect road safety.

What you’ll learn:

  • Behavioural change, attitudes, and the hurdles facing road safety professionals
  • Researchers VS practitioners and why partnerships are important
  • Canadian road safety statistics and trends
  • How to minimise your risk of injury and death as a driver, passenger, or road-side user
May 30, 202228:07
Car Usership vs Ownership and other trends | Interview with Paul Higgins

Car Usership vs Ownership and other trends | Interview with Paul Higgins

In this episode, we chat with Paul Higgins, the Co-founder of HelloCars - an all-inclusive car subscription service providing flexible access to different makes and models to suit the needs of Australian drivers. 

In this episode, you'll learn about:

  • Trends in car subscription services
  • Consumer demands for flexibility and access to shared vehicles
  • Shift away from traditional car ownership and into usership 
  • How this relates to sustainability
  • Where the future of the industry is going
Apr 11, 202215:24
Reclaiming space for women in mobility and urban spaces | Interview with Susie Kahlich & Rithika Punj

Reclaiming space for women in mobility and urban spaces | Interview with Susie Kahlich & Rithika Punj

Our guests today are Susie and Ritz, the Founders of Singe Network - a Berlin-based company that is focused on gender equality, travel, integration and immigration. The team has developed a program called Pretty Deadly Self-Defense, which is a new forward-thinking take on women's self-defense programs. 

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • EmpowerWISM and the importance of programs that celebrate women in shared mobility
  • Microaggressions - what are they and why we need to talk about them more.
  • Why do we need to make self-defense for women boring?
  • Trends about women's safety in cities and on public transport
  • How can we improve the future of women's safety in urban spaces and transport?
Mar 28, 202238:46
How flexible work impacts corporate governance | Interview with Samuel Kanagaraj

How flexible work impacts corporate governance | Interview with Samuel Kanagaraj

Our guest today is Sam, the Founder of ProximalSpace - a Melbourne-based work near home solution for the remote and hybrid workforce that focuses on sustainability and strengthening ties in local communities.

In this episode you'll hear about:

  • How WFH affects corporate governance KPIs around sustainability and the environment
  • Will the future of work impact the way we design and dedicate space for workers in CBDs?
  • Hub and Spoke model of organisation, and how co-working spaces may be a solution to better productivity, efficiency, and community engagement
Mar 06, 202231:12
The importance of education in the EV debate | Interview with Riz Akhtar

The importance of education in the EV debate | Interview with Riz Akhtar

Do we need an EV re-education?

We sat down with Riz Akhtar, the Founder of Carloop, to discuss how an education gap may be what's keeping Australian consumers at bay when it comes to purchasing Electric Vehicles (and no, we don't just mean cars).

You'll learn about: creating more inclusive EV debates that are inclusive of other forms of e-mobility, the myths and misconceptions about EVs, and how emerging tech and data sources can revolutionise your car-buying experiences.

Dec 13, 202127:06
How 5G could revolutionise Smart Cities | Interview with Louise Hyland

How 5G could revolutionise Smart Cities | Interview with Louise Hyland

From safer spaces, cleaner streets, faster Zoom calls, and better network connectivity and stability, there's more to 5G than just better load times for your daily social media scroll.

In this episode, Louise Hyland, the CEO of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (or AMTA for short), talks through all the ways that 5G is being utilised across different sectors of the economy.

You'll learn about: what does '5G' actually mean, how it benefits businesses and individuals, and how local councils can (and already are) leveraging 5G for smarter cities.

Nov 29, 202117:45
Inequality and mobility: How do we make MaaS more equitable? | Interview with Venkatesh Gopal

Inequality and mobility: How do we make MaaS more equitable? | Interview with Venkatesh Gopal

Have you ever considered the hidden privilege in your ability to choose how you commute? Whether that be owning a private car, or something as simple as the distance between where you live and public transport or micro-mobility. Our conversation also raises a few questions: Why is mobility as a service important? Is the ideal of a 15 minute city still possible? and, importantly, How do we make mobility more equitable?

Our guest today is Venkatesh Gopal, the Partnerships and Business Development Manager at movmi an award winning boutique agency specialising in Shared Mobility Architecture, in Vancouver.

 From selling cars, to doing a career 360 and campaigning for shared mobility options, in Venkatesh's own words: It's not just about getting off the burning train, but figuring out how to stop it.

Movmi's website: https://movmi.net/

Nov 08, 202118:33
Building community engagement into infrastructure projects | Interview with Micah Gabriels

Building community engagement into infrastructure projects | Interview with Micah Gabriels

Balancing negative impacts and disruption on people in the community is often a sticking point for many infrastructure projects. Regulations can make it difficult for project managers to navigate planning, strategy, and execution, often in projects that are designed to benefit the community in the first place.

My guest today is Micah Gabriels, the Founder and CEO of Mooven. In this episode you'll learn about how Mooven is helping to 'create space' in infrastructure projects and delivery, consider the broader context when planning projects, the importance of community engagement, and why 10-15 year plans should might be a thing of the past.

Oct 25, 202128:45
Anyone Home: Is it time we disrupted the road freight industry? | Interview with Geoffroy Henry

Anyone Home: Is it time we disrupted the road freight industry? | Interview with Geoffroy Henry

Nothing strikes frustration into the hearts of Australians like a red Auspost collection letter. Particularly when you've been patiently mulling around at home waiting for your delivery, only to get the dreaded notification: Sorry, we missed you. 

This week's guest is Geoffroy Henry, the CEO and Founder of Ofload, an Aussie logistics startup, discussing the disruption of one of our oldest and most manually-driven industries.

Road freight is a particular facet of the transport industry that is going through some transformational change and disruption. The importance of the transport and logistics industry has been increasingly exposed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, in turn bringing focus to freight tech solutions, disruption, and opportunities. 


Oct 11, 202122:01
TL;DL - The myth of averages, Electric vehicles, and is more money always better?

TL;DL - The myth of averages, Electric vehicles, and is more money always better?

Too Long; Didn't Listen - the best bits from our episodes in 15 minutes or less.

In this episode, we break down the best bits of our interview with David Brown, including:

  • The importance of diversity in data
  • The myth of  the 'average'
  • Electric Vehicle misconceptions
  • Does more money always = better outcomes?



Oct 06, 202111:03
Trends and challenges in logistics | Interview with Jackson Meyer

Trends and challenges in logistics | Interview with Jackson Meyer

From COVID-19, to political tensions impacting trading partners, to boats stuck sideways in major shipping channels, 2021 has been a difficult year for those in logistics and freight trades.

In this episode, we chat with Jackson Meyer, the Managing Director at Verus and Fickle. A Forbes 30 under 30 Alumni, and an Australian Top 100 Young Entrepreneur winner (just to name a few achievements), Jackson highlights some of the challenges facing the shipping and logistics industry due to changing trends, as well as the ongoing pandemic.

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • Social and economic impacts of lockdowns 
  • New trends in logistics and shipping to watch out for
  • Challenges of operating an international business within closed borders
  • Resilience in uncertainty


Sep 19, 202116:39
Electric Vehicles: Is Australia falling behind? | Interview with Paul Maric

Electric Vehicles: Is Australia falling behind? | Interview with Paul Maric

The Electric and Net Zero Emissions Vehicle discussion has reached a fever pitch in Australia. Difference state governments are busy replacing their own diesel bus fleets with electric buses, new legislation continues to swirl around, but what does this all mean for you as a car owner or potential EV buyer?

In this episode we chat with Paul Maric, the Managing Editor at CarExpert. Paul is a wealth of knowledge for all-things Electric Vehicle related. He has always had a passion for writing and learning about cars (and making sure you don't end up with a lemon) - after all, Paul started his first car website when he was just 17! He also provides a fairly unique  perspective, looking at the EV debate from an accessible consumer angle to explore how policy and choices affect ordinary Australians. 

You'll hear about:

  • Current Australian EV legislation 
  • Some of the hurdles on the consumer-side of EVs
  • The misconceptions, trends, and good-to-knows about EVs
  • If you're looking to buy an EV, which one should you go for?


Sep 05, 202124:53
Taking a people-first approach to emerging technology | Interview with Rajesh Thangaraj

Taking a people-first approach to emerging technology | Interview with Rajesh Thangaraj

Meet Schneider Electric's Rajesh Thangaraj, responsible for the leading Edge business enablement in pacific region, within the Secure Power division. Rajesh is a wealth of knowledge of all-things emerging technology and Edge Computing across multiple sectors, including health, retail, and transport. But what Rajesh sees as the most important thing a company can do to stay ahead of the never ending curve is to invest in their people and leverage the power of humans natural adaptability skills. 

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • Rajesh's career journey
  • Why should you care about edge computing?
  • How emerging tech drives intelligent transport systems and smart city development
  • Trends, including digitisation and human-centric approaches
Aug 23, 202121:37
TL;DL - What can we expect for the future of connected vehicles?

TL;DL - What can we expect for the future of connected vehicles?

In this episode of TL;DL we share a snippet of our latest webinar "The Emergence of Connected Vehicles: Applications in the Transport Space", held on the 5th August, 2021.

We asked our three panelists what they hoped the future of connected vehicles might look like, and what was their favourite emerging innovation. You'll hear from:

  • Sam Gray, the Principal Manager of Traffic Network Optimisation at Transurban
  • Edmund Cheung, the Principal Lead for Modelling and Data analytics at ASON Group
  • Dr David Logan, Senior research fellow at the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC)
Aug 09, 202107:32
How to design more inclusive cities | Interview with Sue Boyce

How to design more inclusive cities | Interview with Sue Boyce

In Australia, more than 4.4 million people live with some form of disability. That's roughly 1 in 5 people. 

Often there is a stereotypical depict that a 'disability' is something more permanent or severe, such as blindness or wheelchair use. But a disability isn't necessarily something that is long-term. Quite often, you or someone you know has suffered an illness or an injury that impacts the ability to move freely and independently. Whether that be temporary use of crutches while navigating a busy train station, a cast for a broken arm that makes it difficult for you to stand on a bus, or anything that changes the way you interact with the city around you.

On this episode, we sat down with Sue Boyce, the CEO of Ability Works Australia to discuss some of the challenges faced by people that live with disabilities in their daily lives. Everything to the accessibility options in a doctors office that impact your healthcare choices, whether the width of a tram station can actually accomodate a wheelchair, and the economic and social impacts on our society when we don't design with inclusivity for all people in mind.

In this episode you'll hear about:

  • Social Procurement and how to operate an inclusive supply chain
  • User-centered design for city infrastructure
  • Accessibility disparities between urban and rural centers
  • The economic cost of unintentionally excluding people with either short-term or long-term disabilities. 
Aug 01, 202118:14
The perils and pitfalls of averages | Interview with David Brown

The perils and pitfalls of averages | Interview with David Brown

We've been inundated with data. In particular, the transport sector is having a data renaissance; it's everywhere and available for almost everything. But there can be too much of a good thing.

We sat down with David Brown, Life Member and Past National President of the Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management (AITPM), to discuss some of the biggest trends in transport. David walks through the dangers of data and confirmation bias, and reinforces the importance that it is the data you DON'T have that is more important than the data in front of you. Aside from data, David also discusses some of the misconceptions around electric and zero net-emission vehicles.

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • The dangers of relying on averages
  • How big data amplifies confirmation bias
  • Misconceptions around electric vehicles 


Jul 19, 202133:11
Solving real problems, for real people, in real places | Interview with Rachel Smith

Solving real problems, for real people, in real places | Interview with Rachel Smith

Transport has a marketing problem. Often we way we approach behavioural change is through fear, stressing the environmental consequences, or the health benefits of leaving the car at home in favour of a bike or public transport. But what if we were going about this the wrong way? 

On this episode, Emily chats with Rachel Smith - Transport and urban planner, author, and 2x TEDx talk speaker - to discuss congestion and the concept of cycling super highways. Rachel discusses the need for transport planners to look at how we communicate congestion and frame our problems as solutions so they are relatable to the people they impact the most. In particular, she discusses how transport could learn a thing or two from good marketing, never underestimating personal connections and incentives, and the importance of agile solution-oriented thinking.

Rachel's website: http://www.cyclingrachelsmith.com/


Jul 04, 202145:56
TL;DL - Gender diversity and misconceptions

TL;DL - Gender diversity and misconceptions

Too Long; Didn't Listen - the best bits from our episodes in 15 minutes or less.

In this episode, we break down the best bits of our interview with Lauren Bourke, including:


- Gender diversity in transport
- Misconceptions from businesses and candidates
- Practical tips for businesses to improve diversity

Jun 23, 202110:28
Using smart city technology to make parking sexy and seamless | Interview with Michael Doherty

Using smart city technology to make parking sexy and seamless | Interview with Michael Doherty

Parking is probably the last on the list to be considered a sexy transport topic. For most of us, the drudgery of often blindly hunting for parking is an ugly necessity in our journey from A to B. 

Michael Doherty, the Head of Business Development at Smarter City Solutions, wants to change this. He talks through the ways technology and smart sensors are improving the customer experience of parking; Michael also walks through the need for greater transparency in the parking industry, digitisation via park and pay apps, and the removal of friction for drivers.

In this episode you'll learn about:

  • Technology-led disruption
  • The impact of the share economy 
  • Why is parking so expensive?
  • How to land yourself discounted inner-city parking


Smarter city solutions website: 

Jun 21, 202130:05
The digitisation of road infrastructure and the importance of business partnerships | Interview with Jeff Sharp

The digitisation of road infrastructure and the importance of business partnerships | Interview with Jeff Sharp

The advent of new technology has opened the floodgates for people working within Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and general public alike. In the last 5 years, we've seen applications of IoT, Digital twin tech, connected vehicles, and smart sensors to our road networks when less than 10 years ago, such applications were deemed impossible. 

Our guest today is Jeff Sharp, General Manager of Technology Partnerships and Innovation at Transurban. Jeff has over 20 years experience leading innovation, developing strategic technology partnerships and delivering innovation initiatives to support business growth. In particular, we talk about what this new technology means for road tolls, road safety, and the importance of partnerships in realising innovative solutions.


In this episode you'll hear about:

  • The technology disrupting toll roads
  • How to future-proof our road infrastructure for the era of autonomous vehicles
  • Applications of new ITS tech to improve safety and user experience
  • The importance of partnerships for innovation
  • What can we expect from transport infrastructure in the next 100 years?
Jun 06, 202124:55
Is more effective driver training the key to reducing road fatalities? | Interview with Gene Corbett

Is more effective driver training the key to reducing road fatalities? | Interview with Gene Corbett

Driver training is a fairly overlooked and unregulated process. Many of us first learn to driver from our parents or guardians for a majority of the mandated hours under government L-plate schemes; but does the ability to drive automatically give you the ability to teach and pass on good driving behaviours? Not necessarily.

In this episode we sit down with
Gene Corbett, the Managing Director of Total Driver Australia, to discuss how driver training - for drivers and driving instructors alike - can be a preventative force in the fight against road fatalities. With over 15 years experience under his belt, Gene walks us through something called 'the default', the importance of practical behavioural changes even before a driver steps in the car, and how such changes to the way we teach drivers behind a wheel can decrease crash rates in some of our most vulnerable. 


Total drivers website: www.totaldriver.com.au

May 17, 202129:29
A culture of innovation: making cities safer and more user friendly | Interview with Dave Jones

A culture of innovation: making cities safer and more user friendly | Interview with Dave Jones

Often when we consider innovations across transport, we think of AI, automation, and Big Data. But what if there are much simpler solutions that are right under our noses? Often we neglect to think about how we can augmented the infrastructure we've already got - improve road friction, or even the user experience of a pedestrian crossing. 

On this episode, we chat with Dave Jones, External Affairs Director for Smarterlite Group - dedicated to making our roads, buildings, and infrastructure better, safer, and greener - about how something as small as improving the friction on our roads can decrease crash factors by up to 40%. Dave, who has over 25 years experience across public and private businesses in transport, is a strong advocate for spearheading a culture of innovation within government bodies and transport in general, and for improving the user experience of the built environment. 

Fostering a culture of innovation within transport and infrastructure benefits all road and roadsiders users; so how do we make this the norm?

Smarterlite's website: www.smarterlite.com

Apr 19, 202134:15
The role of micro-mobility and shared mobility in the built environment | Interview with Monica Zarafu

The role of micro-mobility and shared mobility in the built environment | Interview with Monica Zarafu

Did you know that the term 'micro-mobility' didn't even exist until around 2012? Or that it was thought to be first used by a Romanian visionary, Horace Dediu? Neither did we until this week!


Emily sits down with Monica Zarafu, the managing director of BYKKO to talk about mobility and micro-mobility in the built environment. In a world where one of the biggest fears we install in our children from a young age is a fear of cars, what might the future look like if we invest more into shared mobility infrastructure? 

BYKKO's Website: https://bykko.com.au/

Apr 05, 202125:44
Breaking down barriers in logistics and business | Interview with Enrica Centorame

Breaking down barriers in logistics and business | Interview with Enrica Centorame

What would you do if suddenly you became totally unemployable? That's exactly what happened to today's guest when she came back to Australia after working in Europe for 10 years.

On today's episode, we chat with
Enrica Centorame, Managing Director of Global Forwarding, the the first certified women-owned logistics company in Australia. Enrica is an advocate for procurement diversity and connects with Indigenous and Veteran-owned businesses, utilising where possible diverse suppliers around the world. As a Certified Woman-Owned Business, Global Forwarding is an accredited, globally recognised Diverse Supplier. Global Forwarding is committed to supporting the Murra Indigenous Master Class at Melbourne Business School and the Asian Social Impact Centre.

In the words of Enrica: "I'd rather have 80% of something good, than 100% of something bad"

Global Forwardings website: https://globalforwarding.com.au/

Mar 21, 202122:07
Gender diversity in the transport industry | Interview with Lauren Bourke
Mar 07, 202123:02
Efficiency and integration across different transport systems | Interview with Dr Yale Z Wong

Efficiency and integration across different transport systems | Interview with Dr Yale Z Wong

Emily sits down with Yale Z Wong, PhD, and Principal at Dr Transportation international transport advisory to discuss efficiency across our transport networks, and what can be done to address fragmentation across different transport and mobility systems. What can be done on a regulatory level? Is emotion-led decision making partially to blame for our fragmented transport network?

Yale Z Wong is an international advisor and social entrepreneur in the public transport and intelligent transport systems (ITS) sectors. He holds positions as ANZ Market Lead at the Cities Forum and is an Honorary Associate at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS).  Yale is a thought leader, a strategic advisor, and a powerful industry advocate in the public transport and intelligent transport systems (ITS) sectors, having won the David Willis Prize (2018), ITLS Research Prize (2018), and selected by ITS Australia as Youth Ambassador to the World Congress (2019), and as recipient of the Young Professional Award (2019).

Yale's website: https://www.drtransportation.org

Feb 15, 202132:59
Applying data-driven methods to city planning | Interview with Tom Steal

Applying data-driven methods to city planning | Interview with Tom Steal

What do Ferrari's and shopping centres have in common? We sat down with Tom Steal from McLaren Traffic Consultants to talk about how quantitative data can be applied to city planning processes to help generate more meaningful outcomes for different stakeholders.

Learn more about how data can be used to improve city planning at www.compassiot.com.au

Dec 06, 202021:01
Traffic Impact Studies: Why are they important? | Interview with Nick Karahlis

Traffic Impact Studies: Why are they important? | Interview with Nick Karahlis

We sit down with traffic engineer, Nick Karahlis - the owner and founder of Sydney-based consultancy NK Traffic - as we talk all-things related to traffic surveys, public transport, and the future of mobility.

Sep 04, 202022:57