In the wake of climate change, many people are eager to change their travel and transport habits but struggle to take the first step. To address this, the digital platform Smart Nudges Mobility was developed by Nudgd, a Swedish startup. Smart Nudges Mobility is based on findings from behavioural science and uses nudging as a tool to close the gap between intention and action. Smart Nudges is a research-based digital platform that contains suggestions and best-practice solutions to facilitate sustainable decisions.
In 2022, Nudgd participated in the Kickstart Innovation Program in Zurich. Kickstart Innovation is one of the leading innovation platforms in Europe and selects 40 to 50 start-ups and intrapreneurship teams from international applicants for their yearly program During the 11-week initiative, the start-ups have the opportunity to come together with renowned companies, organisations, cities, foundations and universities and establish projects and partnerships. Since the founding of Kickstart in 2016, the team led by Katka Letzing has successfully initiated more than 310 innovation deals and the alumni have raised over 2.5 billion Swiss francs in investments.
Pilot project for schools
In March, Nudgd received the prestigious Mobility Action Award for a pioneering project in collaboration with the city of Helsingborg in Sweden. This project was designed to transform the sustainable mobility mindset among students, parents, and teachers. Leveraging the Smart Nudges Mobility platform, they employed behavioral science strategies to motivate parents and school staff towards choosing environmentally friendly modes of transport like cycling, walking, kick biking, skateboarding, inline skating, or running over driving.The challenge was to encourage parents and employees to bring their children to school by bike or on foot. The aim was to increase safety in primary schools and promote academic achievement by encouraging the use of active transport to get to school. This should reduce the number of pupils being transported by car and instead encourage age-appropriate pupils to walk or cycle to school, either alone or accompanied by an adult. Engaging materials, including compelling arguments, smart tips, interactive maps, and educational quizzes, were utilized to promote active travel. The goal was to bolster safety around primary schools and support academic excellence by encouraging the adoption of active travel methods to school. By implementing nudging principles, the initiative successfully influenced a significant shift in transportation habits towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility within the school setting.
Result: Significant change in the choice of transport for school trips
The pilot project in Helsingborg saw impressive outcomes, with 39% of participants choosing or planning to shift towards more active travel modes, surpassing the initial goal of 30%. Engagement spanned across 2,400 parents and staff from 25 schools, demonstrating a doubled likelihood of switching from car use to active transportation compared to those not involved. Furthermore, a 24% activation rate exceeded the anticipated 20%, validating the Smart Nudges Mobility platform's effectiveness in fostering sustainable travel habits.
Smart Nudges extends beyond mobility to address behavioral issues in areas as energy efficiency, water conservation, food waste, and circular economy practices. For instance, educate children on minimizing food waste or guide tenants on proper recycling practices. Nudgd solutions has been adopted by 60 organizations in 12 countries worldwide, showcasing its global impact.
For more detailed insights, you can visit the Nudgd case study here: https://nudgd.io/cases/digital-nudging-towards-active-school-mobility/
If you are a startup active in tech, smart cities and mobility or interested in collaboration with corporates such as cities and public institutions, you can learn more about our program and pre-register.
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