Innovation Driving Transportation: Roads, Rails, & Rides

 

 

This week on Roads, Rails, & Rides host Jeb Morris connects with Iain Bitrain, Executive Director of ISPIM, to discuss global innovation in the transportation industry, what cities are doing the best job, and what the future looks like amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ISPIM is a leader in bringing some of the most intelligent and innovative minds for their annual global conferences. Iain shares his firsthand travel experiences, as well as highlighting contributions from some of the brightest transportation minds like Frank Stephenson, of Frank Stephenson Design. Frank is the subject of a new documentary called “Chasing Perfect”, and he has been a major contributor to the Lilium Jet flying car concept.

Our conversation continues the discussion of transportation innovation by addressing AI/driverless trains from SBS Transit, as well as the driverless bus pilot program implemented in Fukuoka, Japan. Iain acknowledges that while the greatest transportation technology currently exists in China, other Asian countries South Korea, Thailand, plus city-states like Hong Kong and Singapore are making great advances as well. In western societies Iain points to Stavanger, Norway and their annual Nordic Edge Expo & Conference as inspiration for who to follow in the effort to introduce smart city technology to transportation and our daily lives.

The conversation with Iain continues as we turn our focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the advanced approaches for detection being implemented in Asian countries as a comparison to the shortcomings experienced by western travelers. We finish our conversation with healthy dialogue on what a proactive approach to reopening the economy might look like and the optimism we both share for seeing a return to the “new normal”.

Listen to all past episodes of Roads, Rails, & Rides.

To keep up with news, insights and more in the transportation industry, stay tuned to MarketScale’s Transportation publication here.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Christie Linebarger
Christie Linebarger’s Journey to Leadership: Grit, Growth & Leading with Heart
November 19, 2025

Leadership conversations are shifting as companies navigate rapid change, tighter labor markets, and evolving employee expectations. Teams want leaders who show up with humility, clarity, and a genuine investment in people—traits that can’t be faked and can’t be automated. And with studies consistently linking team engagement to the quality of direct leadership, understanding how effective…

Read More
Detroit's workforce
Powering Up Detroit’s Workforce: How Per Scholas Is Connecting Local Talent to Tech and Energy Careers
November 18, 2025

Detroit is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation—one driven by innovation, community leadership, and an urgent demand for a new kind of workforce. As energy and tech sectors accelerate, organizations and employers are racing to prepare Detroit’s workforce for jobs that didn’t exist a decade ago. Workforce researchers note that tech-enabled roles across industries are growing…

Read More
robot
Robots, Revenue, and the Race for the Future: Intelligent Automation Is Powering the Next Wave of Growth
November 18, 2025

It’s hard to ignore just how quickly the world around us is changing. Packages arrive faster than ever, store shelves restock almost instantly, and behind the scenes, businesses are racing to keep up with expectations that seem to climb by the day. But as the workforce shrinks and pressure rises—including a projected shortage of…

Read More
healer
The Herban Alchemist’s Guide to Purpose, Energy, and Modern Leadership: How a Multi-Disciplinary Healer Helps High Achievers Rebuild Their Energy and Direction
November 18, 2025

As conversations about leadership and well-being continue to evolve, many high-achievers are confronting a familiar tension: they’re excelling publicly while quietly running on empty. Energy is both one of the most valuable—and most depleted—resources for many balancing ambition, impact, and personal purpose. At the same time, interest in holistic and integrative healing is surging, with…

Read More