Speaker

How reimagining waterborne mobility will transform cities

A paradox of life in most cities is people are stuck in congested traffic on land while urban waterways are largely underutilized. In this talk, Norwegian cleantech entrepreneur Bjørn Utgård shows how reimagining waterborne mobility offers a unique opportunity to create more efficient, enjoyable and sustainable cities, where people get around more efficiently while reconnecting with nature – and each other. He presents a three-point plan for making zero-emission waterborne mobility available to many more people – many more places. Design A paradox of life in most cities is people are stuck in congested traffic on land while urban waterways are largely underutilized. In this talk, Norwegian cleantech entrepreneur Bjørn Utgård shows how reimagining waterborne mobility offers a unique opportunity to create more efficient, enjoyable and sustainable cities, where people get around more efficiently while reconnecting with nature – and each other. He presents a three-point plan for making zero-emission waterborne mobility available to many more people – many more places. Bjørn Utgård is a Norwegian cleantech engineer and entrepreneur whose 18-year international career is committed to accelerating the transition to zero-emission energy and mobility.

Speaker Bio

Bjørn is the CEO of Hyke, which is revolutionizing urban mobility for good through new and better waterways, leveraging decades of iconic product innovation at Eker Design and performance boat manufacturing at Hydrolift. Hyke’s zero-emission, autonomous-ready water shuttles are already in operation in Norway and are set for global launch during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Prior to joining Hyke, Bjørn played leading commercial roles in transforming EVBox from a 50-person Dutch EV charging startup into a global EV charging champion. He has also built several successful cleantech ventures, provided cleantech strategy advisory to businesses and governments, and played an analyst/activist role in driving climate action at the Bellona Foundation.