Welcome to the second edition of OptiPEx’s Spotlight Series! In this edition, we sit down with Mikko Gröndahl, Project Manager at Skoda Transtech Oy, to explore his organization’s role in the OptiPEx project.
Thank you for speaking with us today. Could you start by introducing yourself?
My name is Mikko Gröndahl and I work as a Project Manager at Skoda Transtech Oy in Helsinki, Finland.
What does your organisation do?
Our current main products are Helsinki and Tampere trams, double deck Intercity-coaches and fleet lifecycle and maintenance services.
Can you tell us about your general experience with public transport in your city?
I find public transport in our city quite functional, and supply is constantly improving. In addition, the services around the travel itself show a bigger part all the time.
One clear direction of development is the transition of traffic from tires to rails in general. Especially the share of trams has grown considerably.
Based on this, why is a project like OptiPEx necessary?
I think rail transport is a safe and environmentally friendly form of transport, the share of which should be increased. On the other hand, traveling is constantly becoming more of a mobility-as-a-service type. In order to meet the future needs of sustainable travelling and urbanization, we need to develop services that make rail traffic more efficient, offering a pleasant and safe travel experience for everyone.
What role does your organisation play in the OptiPEx project?
We will bring our experience on the state-of-the-art technologies, manufacturing and passenger information.
In the project, we focus on developing the vehicle technologies but I hope we can also utilize our wide experience on different sections of public transportation and services.
What will a successful contribution to the project look like for your organization?
Fluent cooperation, utilization of different strengths, long-term commitment.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for the project?
Being able to develop adaptive and modular solutions enabling also future development and wide possibilities for integration beyond OptiPEx.
What does your organization hope to achieve between now and month 18 of the project?
I expect we will have the concept for the vehicle technologies. Also to understand what kind services will really bring value to passengers and operators.
Can you describe OptiPEx in three words?
Cooperative, Fluent, Safety
