A framework proposal for business model innovation towards sustainable mobility: Exploring factors driving business modelling

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Purpose
Given that sustainable urban mobility has been configured as a fertile ground for the emergence of new business models, the objective of this paper is to investigate which factors drive the modeling of business models in this field.
Although the business model perspective is widely applied as an important tool for researchers as well as for practitioners to understand and to make progress on sustainable innovation, few tools that assist business modelling for innovations in the mobility sector have been identified.
In addition, one of the challenges of new business models in the mobility sector is to ensure they are able of generating value from their products, positively impacting sustainable mobility in cities.
In this sense, the following research question is pursued: which factors drive business model innovation for sustainable mobility?
Design
A multiple case-based research was adopted, through an empirical analysis among mobility players in emergent countries, such as Brazil and China, through in-depth interviews.
Findings
The research results were organized in a framework composed by the factor driving business modelling in the analyzed organizations according to the three parts of a business model: (I) value proposition, (II) value creation and delivery system and (III) value capture.
The value proposition is driven by the following factors: improvement of the journey’s convenience; offering more options to make trips; provision of more accessibility; provision of an environmentally friendly alternative and ensuring safety risk control to make trips.
The value creation and delivery system are driven by the following factors: public resources dependence; level of urban mobility system integration; technological resources dependence and level of user behavior change required for product adoption
The value capture is driven by the following factors: public subsidies; cross subsidization and direct sales.
Practical implications
As practical implications, in addition to the contribution to the literature, that had investigated few empirical studies linking urban mobility and business models experimentation, the proposed framework assist both policy makers and practitioners to understand what factors may drive business model innovation towards sustainable mobility and need to be taken into account to develop business in this field.