We are living in a time of constant innovation. This positive, future-oriented mindset is not pioneered solely by new startups, but also by established companies whose hubs for innovation have been appearing in abundance over the past years. At the same time, more than ever, there is a shift towards the development of solutions that are not strictly serving only one industry, but that cater to issues that affect entire ecosystems. As an early stage startup, we find ourselves in this space, while benefiting from the proactive, positive and innovative spirit of established businesses to tackle wicked problems.

The example of Mobility: a change for the entire ecosystem

One such example of a wicked problem is that of transitioning to a large-scale concept of mobility as a service. Mobility is a fascinating topic insofar as it does not only influence car manufacturers but the entire ecosystem where movement of individuals and goods occur. Mobility as a service affects industries ranging from automotive and logistics, all the way to architecture and urban planning. How to reutilise all the parking lots once robotaxis roam the streets without the need to be parked? How to optimally locate signal towers to ensure 5G network connection for connected vehicles? Where is the best place to locate e-car charging stations? How to simulate autonomous driving algorithms while including timely weather information specific to the geographical location tested? With mobility, we cannot wait for time to answer these questions since even the structure of cities themselves will have to evolve to accommodate the changes mobility will bring.

Innovation through collaboration

At Nomoko, we build a platform to interact with the digital twin of the world. In essence, a platform that hosts digital 3D models based on the real world together with tools that leverage the power of such data. Our key advantage lies in our technology: we have developed a 1.000-megapixel camera, a 3D modelling software and a capturing solution that allows us to digitalise entire cities in sub centimeter detail within days.

The way we bring stakeholders together is through what we call the exploration zone – a digital environment based on the real world that allows anyone participating to test solutions virtually before implementing them physically. Through this zone, currently based on a part of Zurich – where our technology was born, we realised that players from different industries are willing to join forces to become the frontrunners of the digital transformation race. Through this zone, we have built close relationships with stakeholders in the public (city management, railways, transport providers) and private sector (telecommunications, car manufacturers) converging through Nomoko on the multi-faceted topic of mobility.

What we see emerging through this are new models of interaction between startups and corporates that are complementary to the incubator and innovation hub models already in place. This way, even more value can be generated while building innovative solutions for complex problems.

Moving forward

As an early stage startup, we are extremely grateful for the openness and eagerness of established businesses to share their knowledge and to innovate openly and in collaboration. We have ourselves greatly benefited from this development, having been part of the Paul Wurth Incub for the past year while exploring Luxembourg, the location of our EU subsidiary and the home to two of Nomoko’s cofounders. We cannot wait to bring the next exploration zone to Luxembourg and help companies from different industries leverage the power of the Nomoko platform.