1. Strategy
The Mayor of London has set out a goal for the capital to be zero carbon by 2030, alongside a transport strategy that aims for 80% of journeys to be made by walking, cycling or public transport by 2041. It includes a commitment to deliver a 100% zero-emission bus fleet in London by 2034.
With one of the largest and most efficient transport networks in the world coupled with an integrated transport agency, Transport for London (TfL), the capital has become a leader in smart ticketing, contactless payments and open data.
Rail links such as the High Speed 1 (HS1) train line, which runs Eurostar trains, are some of the most sustainable ways to reach London from mainland Europe, in part because sections of the route are powered by renewable energy.[1]
2. Access to capital
The UK and London support sustainable infrastructure. The Mayor of London is investing in multiple cycleways and 130 regeneration projects city-wide.
London's cycling action plan,[2] which aims to make the capital the world’s best big city for cycling, has made good progress, with 20% of Londoners living within 400m (1,312ft) of the Cycleways network.
In 2021, the UK government launched the “greenprint”, a plan to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050, including a £2.8bn investment to support the switch to cleaner motor vehicles.[3]
London is home to a range of venture capital (VC) firms investing in the mobility space, including InMotion Ventures, MMC Ventures, Northzone, Atomico and Index Ventures. In 2022, transport companies with headquarters in London raised £1.44bn – up from £883m in 2021.[4]
3. Talent
With a large pool of software developers, a dense population of tech talent and an innovative mindset, London is a European hub for mobility.
The city is home to some of the world’s top universities and academic institutions which boast a range of dedicated research centres and programmes for mobility, including:
- Centre for Transport Studies and the Transport Systems and Logistics Laboratory at Imperial.
- Intelligent Mobility MA programme at the Royal College of Art, which looks to the future of all forms of transportation design.
- MaaS lab at University College London, which provides insight and guidance into mobility as a service, plus four transport-related master's programmes.
- The London campus of Loughborough University, which is the lead academic partner for Smart Mobility Living Lab, a London testbed for mobility solutions.
About 295,000 people work in the transport and storage industry in London as of December 2022.[5]
In the private sector, Ford Motor Company runs a graduate scheme[6] in smart mobility, helping to develop and implement smart mobility and electric vehicle strategies. The Ford Smart Mobility Innovation Office is based in Stratford, east London.
4. Innovation and sustainability
London is embedding innovation and versatility at the core of its services. The mayor’s commitment to making London a zero-carbon city by 2030 is driving the transition towards the decarbonisation of transport.
As of December 2023, London has more than 18,000 electric vehicle charging stations,[7] leading the UK with more than 34% of the market share.
Transport for London has a dedicated innovation department focused on improving the city’s mobility services which often uses a challenge-led approach. By the end of 2024, it aims to have mobile access available within every station and tunnel.[8] London’s Tube tunnels are set to provide full fibre connectivity across the city, with the installation of more than 2,000km of cabling on the network.
TfL is a leader in open data.[9] Its unified API and open data platform power more than 600 apps, with more than 17,000 developers registered for its open data and more than 42% of Londoners using apps powered by its data.
London has 800 active zero-emission buses, one of the highest numbers in Europe.[10] Under TfL's Bus Action Plan, all new buses to the network are zero emission, with plans for all buses to be converted by 2030, taking 500,000 tonnes of carbon out of the transport system.
5. Ecosystem
London has dedicated government bodies, accelerators, incubators and industry initiatives that support mobility businesses to grow and thrive.
For example, London’s airports are working to decarbonise air travel as the UK government’s Jet Zero Strategy commits the country to net-zero aviation emissions by 2050 and net-zero emissions on domestic flights by 2040.[11]
The capital's robust ecosystem, from the Intelligent Mobility Accelerator (run by Connected Places Catapult and Wayra) to Smart Mobility Living Lab (the UK’s most advanced testbed for future transport technologies and services), makes it the perfect city for mobility innovators.
Find out more about sustainable business in London.
To be able to manage the issues of today, the UK and particularly the government in London is looking to the future and to meeting the opportunities and challenges of the transition to net-zero, ensuring it has the right skills, people and technology to succeed. This is where companies like Einride can come in at just the right time and place.Alastair MacIntyre
VP Region UK/Ireland at Einride
A public research university.
A postgraduate campus for Loughborough University.
One of the world's top postgraduate institutions of art and design.
UCL ranks in the top 10 universities in the world for 2021.
One of the most vibrant and diverse universities in London.
A European venture capital firm headquartered in London.
A corporate innovation and venture development firm.
A European venture capital firm with dual headquarters in San Francisco and London.
Investing in early stage founders in the mobility sector.
A venture capital fund investing in early stage, high-growth UK companies.
An early stage venture capital fund.
A subsidiary of SoftBank, Vision Fund invests $100m in growth stage leading companies.
A technology company which provides parking apps and services for drivers.
Delivering products and services worldwide to accelerate the move to zero emission transportation.
A platform to incentivise employees to make positive changes in travel, recycling and exercise.
The market leader in artificial intelligence software for micromobility operators globally.
Makes of electric scooters, reducing car usage, traffic and carbon emissions
Offering rentable e-bikes.
An award-winning fleet management platform that helps companies manage fleet and driver risk.
An online platform to buy or finance a used car and have it delivered to your door.
Complete, smart charging solutions including hardware, software, services and a mobile app.
A digitally inclusive data and mobility platform to benefit the disabled community.
An app for navigating cities.
An AI-based mobility tech company focused on helping easier rental car processing.
A B2B service offering data to help transform towns and cities.
A micro-mobility startup creating electric scooters and bikes.
Providing flexible car subscriptions.
Developing more energy-efficient, durable and sustainable tyres for electric vehicles.
An online platform which enables people to easily arrange shared journeys.
A platform for autonomous vehicle development and safety assurance.
An online car sharing service that allows drivers to rent cars from private car owners, and owners to rent out their cars.
The UK’s first technology-driven end-to-end transportation service provider for disabled, elderly people and non-emergency patients.
A peer-to-peer car sharing platform.
An AI company using human behaviour to create safer urban mobility ecosystems.
A platform for transportation insights and strategy testing.
A technology platform that matches drivers through parking spaces.
Revolutionising air mobility through jets, air taxis and a digital booking system.
An American transportation company that runs electric scooters, electric bikes, pedal bikes and car sharing systems in various cities around the world.
An app for vehicles for hire, bike-sharing system and food delivery.
A fare payments platform for public transport.
A specialist consultancy on smart mobility and transport in Europe.
A platform to discover shared shuttle and taxi solutions to complete your journey.
A rideshare company whose services include vehicle for hire and food delivery.
The future of traffic management, bringing official data from multiple agencies into a single, map-based interface.
Providing affordable and eco-friendly cars that empower drivers to provide for their families and improve our planet.
Real-time notifications from officials to help plan a journey.
A Group of design and technology businesses focused on innovation in the built environment.
A real-world connected environment for testing and developing future transport and mobility solutions.
A B2B mobility marketplace that connects services to consumers.
A global business consultancy specialising in cities, infrastructure and transport.
A bike subscription service.
An electric scooter ride-sharing company.
A vehicle-for-hire company that also licenses its technology to cities, transit agencies and private organisations.
Capturing real-time transport usage through machine learning.
Inclusive and accessible audio navigation to help empower vision impaired people to travel independently.
Creating AI software for self-driving cars.
Offering vehicles for hire, food delivery, package delivery, couriers and freight transportation.
A multinational engineering and infrastructure firm.
A design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets.
A global design, planning and engineering firm.
A global supplier of technology and services operating in the mobility solutions sector.
An oil and petrochemical company.
A global company that designs and sells a broad range of technologies.
A leading global developer of transport infrastructure.
An automotive and mobility company that develops, manufactures and distributes vehicles.
Developing and manufacturing microprocessors and digital technology platforms.
A provider of technical, consulting, and scientific services for the government and private sector.
Providing audit, tax and advisory services.
A financial services corporation providing transcation processing and payment-related products and services.
A technology company that develops and supports software, services and devices.
A global technology company focusing on electrification, automation and digitalisation.
A global provider of technology solutions in the aerospace and ground transportation markets.
A financial services company that facilitates electronic payment systems.
A British government innovation agency for the transport industry and autonomous vehicles.
An East London innovation centre and co-working space.
A seed accelerator and platform for investment and innovation.
An accelerator firm which focuses on technology startups.
A group of 96 cities around the world that have joined to deliver measurable action on climate change.
A government unit working with industry and academia to shape the safe and secure emergence of connected and self-driving vehicles in the UK.
Assisting community leaders in policies, strategies and projects in the urban innovation market.
A charity for the public benefit of shared cars, bikes, e-scooters and rides.
The government department for planning and investing in UK transport infrastructure.
The regional governance body of London.
The local government association for Greater London
The local government body for the transport system in Greater London.
Uniting industry, government and academia to drive the move to connected and self-driving vehicles.
A trade association dedicated to empowering the UK through technology.
A government team supporting the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles.
A mayoral development corporation for the Olympic Park and surrounding areas.
Use the filters in the map to discover the city's ecosystem.
How we can help
London & Partners offers free advice to potential and existing overseas investors, from startups to established companies.
We can help you:
- Stay informed and access the latest developments, initiatives and incentives.
- Connect with the wider ecosystem, including support networks and trade associations.
- Future-proof the setup of your London business.
Contact us
Find out how we can help you set up in London.Case study
Einride
How did London & Partners help you to set up and grow
your business in London?
London & Partners has supported Einride's UK expansion strategy, putting us in contact with relevant industry and government leaders.
What do Einride do?
Einride designs, develops and deploys technologies for freight mobility. They build grids powered by a first-of-its-kind ecosystem – our intelligent platform Einride
Saga, electric and autonomous fleets, charging infrastructure and connectivity networks – to unlock a more resilient, cost-effective shipping future.
What is Einride’s Long-term sustainability goal in the coming years?
We are tackling several problems at once and contributing to society as best and as flexibly as we can. By building the infrastructure to support the transition to low-emissions freight Einride has been able to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95% compared to diesel with its customers to date.What challenges did you face to become a successful sustainability business in London? How did you overcome them?
We are challenged by those who say you can’t do effective haulage with electric lorries. The fact that we are now scaling our live operations in eight markets has proven that, yes, it can be done.Why do you think now is the best time to set up and grow a sustainability company in London?
The sector and other industries are emerging from operational challenges of recent years. To be able to manage the issues of today, the UK and particularly the government in London is looking to the future and to meeting the opportunities and challenges of the transition to net-zero, ensuring it has the right skills, people and technology to succeed. This is where companies like Einride can come in at just the right time and place.
