The world has begun to make a conceptual shift toward seeking not just efficiency, but also sustainability and recycling economies. It is thus fair to say that we have entered into an era in which the coexistence of diverse value systems, expansion of choices, and the social uncertainty all require sustainability.
And then, the more recent developments of digitalization and pervasive smartphone use, however, have brought forth customer voices that have been hidden beneath the surface until now.
So, making one's own choices of things and services that are a 100% fit gives rise to consumer behavior that is different from that of a past characterized by the concept of normalized ownership of things.
We see a variety of changes in mobility, including digitalization, the emergence of online platforms and the rise of subscription services. The creation of numerous services in the field of mobility has been particularly conspicuous in the past few years (Uber, DiDi, etc.). The term “Mobility as a Service” (MaaS) itself has come into common use, and these developments have attracted keen interest from industry, as well as the central government and local governments.
All in all, MaaS holds great potential to solve the transportation problems that Japan and many countries are facing. However, from profit-driven business perspective, it is relatively clear that MaaS still far from turning a profit. To understand why generating profit is very challenging, one must understand the current structure of MaaS.