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On 25 June 2019 the FIA Summer Cocktail gathered 120 people for a networking evening dedicated to the future of mobility, with special keynote speeches by Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, and Jérôme D’Ambrosio, Formula E racing Driver.
In his opening speech, FIA Region I President, Thomas Møller Thomsen, stressed how innovation is key to mobility and consumers, referring to the Manifesto For Mobility recently adopted by FIA Region I: “We hope that new innovative and new solutions are put into the political agenda for the benefit of society. We ask decision-makers to put the user in the focus of the discussion, in the driving seat”.
Commissioner Moedas spoke about what drives and enables innovation in mobility nowadays: “Mobility is a sector that has the potential for change at lightning speed, where something we only dreamed of can become possible in a lifetime. I believe that climate will be one of its biggest drivers for change in the next few years while digitalisation its next enabler. We need to merge the physical with the digital to create entirely new markets. But also to completely transform our idea of what a vehicle does, because that is where the real potential for huge leaps in innovation lies.”
FIA President and UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, reminded the audience how “FIA mobility pillar works to make the life of all road users, not only motorists, safer and more comfortable across the world”. He stressed FIA’s commitment to improving road safety “Road Safety is one of the priorities within FIA. We are working closely with our members, institutions and stakeholders to help us improving road safety around the world”.
Jérôme D’Ambrosio outlined how his experience as a Formula E driver could also inspire EU decision makers. D’Ambrosio took a bold decision when joining the Formula E championship in its early stages when most people criticised the technology was not mature enough. He invited EU decision-makers to also take a bold decision and commit to “make mobility greener and safer. When we commit ourselves to a project and we decide it can happen, it can happen”.
At the event, FIA Region I showcased its Manifesto for Mobility. With the slogan “Put the user in pole position”, the Manifesto outlines key areas where EU decision makers must act to improve consumers mobility. Participants were, then, invited to watch the Manifesto for Mobility video and take pictures at the dedicated photo booth to present their priorities to EU decision makers.
