As we count down to Phocuswright Europe, taking place in Barcelona from June 10 through June 12, PhocusWire is shining the spotlight on a selection of conference speakers in a series of Q&As.

Florent Bannwarth, Iberia manager for BlaBlaCar, will take part in an executive panel “The Great Ground Shift” on June 11. The panel will focus focus on ground transportation’s ongoing transformation with sector leaders discussing trends, challenges and opportunities that will shape the future of travel on the ground.

Below Bannwarth shares his priorities, views on the wider industry and thoughts on AI in the ground transportation space.

What are your priorities this year?

BlaBlaCar Iberia’s priorities this year align with the significant evolution observed in Spain’s ground transportation sector over the past five years. Our strategic integration of train services alongside our established carpooling platform and our growing bus offer underscores our commitment to providing comprehensive travel solutions to our members. A key focus for the current year is a deeper understanding of consumer interaction with these diverse mobility options and how each option can better serve their needs and the specificities of their journey. We aim to analyze user behavior to optimize their journey planning and overall travel experience.

By prioritizing travelers’ needs and preferences, we seek to innovate further and contribute to a more connected and sustainable ground transportation network in Spain that lays the groundwork for intermodality.

In what areas are you currently experimenting with AI?

One of our primary focuses in AI revolves around our Boost technology, a group of algorithms that connect drivers with potential passengers along their routes with very small detours, significantly increasing carpooling opportunities. This is especially relevant for rural areas that don’t have effective, direct and sustainable travel alternatives. Beyond this, we are also leveraging AI in crucial areas such trust and safety for a more effective platform moderation and fraud detection systems.

What do you think are the greatest challenges the industry faces? What about your sector?

One of the most significant challenges facing the entire ground transportation industry, and one that deeply resonates with BlaBlaCar’s mission, is the imperative for sustainability and decarbonization. The need to drastically reduce carbon emissions and transition to more environmentally friendly practices is not just a trend, but a fundamental necessity. Our core model of carpooling inherently contributes to greater sustainability by optimizing the occupancy of existing vehicles, which leads to reducing CO2 emissions, specifically, 2 million in the past year. Looking ahead, we believe that fostering greater collaboration between different transport modes and encouraging multimodal travel are crucial steps towards a more sustainable future. Technology will play a vital role in enabling these shifts, and we are committed to leveraging innovation.

What’s one thing about travel you would tell newcomers to the industry?

As cliche as it may sound: keep the traveler at the core of every decision. Understanding their evolving needs, anticipating their pain points and striving to create positive and seamless journeys should be the compass guiding decision-making in an ever changing industry that is already facing major challenges, and that will need to live up to society’s expectations in the upcoming decades, riding together into a more sustainable future.

How do you see ground transportation evolving with AI?

AI will be instrumental in two areas: resource optimization and acceleration of intermodality. However, although transformative, our core carpooling model will remain vital for efficient use of vehicles. Even if we have autonomous cars, electric vehicles, etc., the need to reduce and optimize resources is key for a sustainable industry. AI will refine carpooling, but the objective will always be to contribute to a more efficient and sustainable industry, and offer a customized and door-to-door experience to travelers.