Kakao Mobility Participates in OECD-affiliated International Transport Forum

Kakao Mobility announced on the 30th that it participated in the ‘ITF Summit 2023’ hosted by the International Transport Forum (hereinafter ITF) under the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), sharing measures to balance mobility services and existing systems, and promoting various global collaborations with transportation ministries and global companies from different countries.

The International Transport Forum ITF is an international organization under the OECD that leads various topics related to future transportation, such as international cooperation in transport policy, autonomous driving, eco-friendly transportation, and the sharing economy. The annual ‘ITF Summit’ is a venue where ministers of land and transportation and experts from around the world gather to share the latest technology and industry trend information and foster collaboration. This year, it was held face-to-face for the first time since COVID-19.

This year’s ‘ITF Summit 2023,’ themed ‘Transport for Sustainable Economies,’ was held for three days from May 24 in Leipzig, Germany, with participation from transportation-related government departments of 50 countries, 13 international organizations including the European Commission, and over 200 global companies and institutions.

Kakao Mobility, as a member company of the ITF Corporate Partnership Board, has been conducting international cooperation activities and was officially invited to participate in this year’s ITF Summit. Through this, it strengthened mutual cooperation relationships with ITF member countries and Corporate Partnership Board member companies and discussed cooperation models for verifying future mobility new technologies and new businesses.

At the thematic discussion on ‘Assessment of New Mobility,’ which included Europe’s largest mobility company Bolt, the European Union’s regional cooperation organization for innovative transport solutions, Mexico City’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Regulatory Authority, and ITF’s Innovation and Foresight Advisor, Kakao Mobility emphasized ‘Innovation in future-oriented mobility services and balance with regulations.’

Kim Geon-woo, Senior Economist at Kakao Mobility, who participated in the discussion, emphasized, “Through accurate identification and classification of new mobility, it is necessary to maintain the safety of existing systems while ensuring the innovativeness of emerging services.” He introduced how new mobility services contribute to society and the economy in Korea by sharing Kakao Mobility’s leading experiences, such as institutionalizing new vehicle-hailing services through the introduction of the platform taxi system and public-private cooperation based on data.

Furthermore, international mobility cooperation measures were explored with government officials and global companies from various countries. Yoon-young Hwang, Vice President of Kakao Mobility’s CR and Compliance Division, discussed cooperation models among global companies, including Europe-based mobility platform ‘Bolt,’ Toyota, and Volvo Group, in areas such as ▲cooperation for entering emerging markets including infrastructure development and autonomous driving ▲in-vehicle software cooperation such as IVI ▲data-based integrated management collaboration across the vehicle lifecycle, including vehicle insurance management, driving history, and service inspection information.

Measures for intergovernmental cooperation in the mobility sector were also discussed with ministers and vice ministers of transportation from various countries. Through bilateral meetings with transportation officials from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Cambodia’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and others, they shared ▲trends in mobility policy innovation such as autonomous driving legislation and integrated passenger and logistics policies ▲cooperation in building future mobility infrastructure such as high-precision maps and advanced spatial information ▲policy support and various cooperation measures for expanding mobility roaming services to contribute to each country’s tourism industry.

Yoon-young Hwang, Vice President of Kakao Mobility’s CR and Compliance Division, said, “We explored international cooperation measures with government officials from various countries, including Saudi Arabia, with whom we recently signed a business agreement to revitalize tourism, as well as overseas automakers and mobility companies.” He added, “As a member company of the ITF Corporate Partnership Board, a globally authoritative transport think tank, we will take the lead in creating exemplary cases of global expansion for domestic mobility companies through continuous cooperation with global companies and governments worldwide.”