Turin is a city historically connected to the automotive industry, and is undoubtedly a point of reference for the sector in Italy and around the world. The importance of the car for Turin and the automotive industry is evidenced by history, the presence of major automotive brands and their contribution to the local economy. This has enabled the Piedmontese city to link its name to that of major auto companies and, thanks to experience and a forward-looking vision, to continue to grow in this sector.

In 1898 Ceirano GB & C. was founded in Turin and a year later began production of a small two-seater car: the Welleyes. Unable to handle market demands Ceirano left the patent and plants to Giovanni Agnelli. From here an iconic automotive brand like FIAT would be born.
In 1906 Lancia was also founded by Vincenzo Lancia and Claudio Fogolin. It immediately specialized in luxury cars and helped make Italy a leading force in the global automotive industry.
In recent years, the city has shown great openness to new technologies and opportunities for the mobility of the future. Innovative start-ups, driven by ambition to revolutionize the industry, are emerging and establishing themselves in this vibrant city.
According to data from Motus-E, 100% electric car registrations in Italy in July 2023 were 4,094 compared to 3,598 in the same month of 2022, an increase of 13.79%. A sign that there is interest and curiosity in a new way of understanding the car and everything about it.

How has automotive changed in the shadow of the Mole? We at ToTeM mapped this sector to keep track of the changes that will revolutionize the way people travel and get around.

The history of automotive in Turin

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Turin has been a major European city active in automobile production. Its contribution to the industry has been significant, becoming a true capital of the automobile.
FIAT, Lancia and others have established their roots among the streets of Turin, bringing innovation, style and prestige to motorists around the world.
The automotive industry has created jobs for thousands of people and had a direct impact on the city's economic growth. The industry has generated a vast network of suppliers, engineers, designers and mechanics, thus creating a highly innovative industrial ecosystem. The car has become a symbol of identity for Turin, which has tied its image to automotive excellence and know-how.

Among the companies that have left their mark on Piedmont's automotive history are:

1. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) - Turin's largest automotive company and one of the largest in Italy. Produces vehicles of the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Jeep brands.
2. Pininfarina - Famous Italian coachbuilder based in Turin, specializing in the design and production of luxury cars and prototypes.
3. Italdesign, Founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro - Automotive design and engineering company based in Moncalieri, near Turin, that provides vehicle design and development services for other automakers.
4. Bertone - Italian coachbuilder based in Turin, known for designing and producing cars such as the Lamborghini Miura and the Lancia Stratos.

The tradition and innovation of smart mobility

The sector is constantly evolving: with the introduction of electric vehicles, digital connectivity and vehicle autonomy, Turin has shown itself to be at the forefront, promoting environmental sustainability and technological innovation. The car of the future will be increasingly connected, green and safe, and Turin continues to play a key role in defining it partly because it has been able to innovate by seizing the opportunities of smart mobility.

Smart mobility refers to the use of innovative technologies and solutions to improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of urban transportation and mobility systems. Underlying smart mobility are:

• the adoption of electric or hybrid vehicles,
• the interconnection between vehicles,
• the use of sharing mobility services (car sharing and bike sharing),
• the implementation of intelligent systems for traffic and public transport management,
• the use of mobile applications for travel monitoring and planning.

Historic automotive companies and their modernization

Transportation innovation in Turin is a key factor in improving citizens' quality of life, economic development, and promoting sustainable and connected mobility.
Staying relevant in the smart mobility era requires:

• collaborate with innovative start-ups,
• integrate artificial intelligence solutions,
• developing electric vehicles,
• ride-sharing and car-sharing services,
• provide more efficient and sustainable mobility options.

A unifying element between incumbent companies and new start-ups in Turin is the vision of sustainable, smart and connected mobility.
The "old school" and startups are working to address automotive challenges, such as air pollution and traffic congestion, through the implementation of new mobility models and advanced technologies.

To achieve the goals set, it is necessary for authorities and local governments to invest in research and implementation of new technologies and infrastructure.
It is crucial to promote collaboration between the public and private sectors, involving companies, universities and research centers to develop innovative and sustainable solutions. This would help meet current and future urban transportation needs.

Through ToTeM and ecosystem mapping, we can keep tabs on the growth and development of many startups that have decided to take up the challenge related to a new way of moving and traveling. Here, below, is a selection. If your innovative organization has not yet been mapped, you can report it to us at this link.

Turin innovates the automotive sector with smart mobility

Le startup from Turin with a strong focus on technological innovation, are developing autonomous electric vehicle prototypes, shared urban mobility solutions, and digital platforms that facilitate efficient transportation planning and use.

Which Piedmont startups want to change the way people travel?

Reefilla

Reefilla, founded in 2021 in Turin is the first charging delivery service designed for electric car owners. It allows you to recharge your electric car wherever and whenever you want, without having to interrupt your daily routine.
Reefilla is activated by a kind of powerbank that charges the car instead of the smartphone.
This idea enabled the three co-founders to win "Motor Valley Accelerator by Plug and Play" and the "Start Cup Piemonte."

Cityz

Cityz, founded in 2021, aims to solve the main problems related to finding parking in the city. It offers a 360-degree Smart Parking service by sharing, in real time, the availability of parking spaces.
In optics MaaS (Mobility as a Service) Cityz involves the integration of multiple services accessible through a single digital channel.
Through "digital brokerage platforms," users can plan, book and pay for multiple services according to their needs. Cityz has won many awards, including:

• 2031 Award, Talent Garden Award, Accenture Award
• Acceleration CTE next
• Acceleration Magic Spectrum
• Selection among 5 Italian startups in the parking and mobility field by AIPark
• Selected among 15 Italian startups for SMAU 2023

Alba Robot

ALBA Robot was established in 2019 in Turin and supports people with reduced mobility by making them more independent.
Combining the most innovative technologies from automotive, robotics, AI and IoT, it offers a micro-mobility platform using self-driving electric vehicles with Italian design.
It also provides hospitals, airports and museums with solutions for autonomous/assisted mobility services.
After participating in Techstars' accelerator program, her growth led her to win many awards and recognitions, including:

• Alexa Next Stage Accelerator Program: form Jun to Aug 2020 – 8 acceleration weeks program
• Start Cup Piemonte e Valle D’Aosta 2020: Oct 2020 – Second best project and Special Mention for social Innovation
• PNI – Premio Innovazione Nazionale: Dec 2020 – one of the 4 best projects in the ICT category
• Invest Horizon Dec 2020
• Unicredit Start Lab: 2021 – participation to Startup Academy
• TEDX: Feb 2022 – speaker at TEDx Torino
• Fortune Italia: Feb 22 – mentioned as 1of 20 best Italian Artificial Intelligence Company
• Elite (Euronext Group): Oct 2021 – 2 years program to bring companies to market exchange
• Passengers Terminal Expo Conference: Jun 2022 – speaker at PTE Paris
• Impact Deal: Oct 2022 – 6 months acceleration program on Impacting Data
• EVPA Conference: Dec 2022 – speaker at EVPA Impact Week Bruxelles
• Entrepreneurship World Cup: March 2023 – Top 40 start-ups at EWC Saudi Arabia competition.

Crain Mobility

Crain Mobility® was founded in 2019 in Turin, Italy, by Sara Armocida and Gianvito Lionetti. It operates in the combined road-rail transportation sector. Its technology promotes intelligent energy management on board freight trains, especially for refrigeration, through retrofitting existing cars.
Crain Mobility won the "For Safe and Sustainable Mobility" challenge, launched by FS Group and Le Village by CA by presenting itself as the solution that deals with "Electric cars that travel inside rail cars and use the travel time to recharge."

TrafficLab

Trafficlab is an online traffic analysis and management platform developed in Alba (Cuneo, Italy). The platform enables monitoring and analysis of traffic flows, providing data and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of online marketing and sales strategies.
The field of traffic management and road transport systems is undergoing major change: ITS – Intelligent Transport Systems, Smart City e ADAS – Advanced driver assistance systems, Mobility as a Service, will certainly be the technologies that will most influence the planning and design of transportation systems in the near future. Trafficlab has solutions for traffic monitoring (Traffic FLOW) and for parking management with camera-based solutions (Parking Detection).

We Glad

We Glad is a Social-Navigator for people with mobility difficulties and disabilities. It supports the individual to travel from point A to point B while avoiding architectural barriers, safely with a customized route.

It enables users to interact with each other and expand information about road and indoor accessibility of facilities open to the public. It also enables a constant connection between Mobility, Insurance and Healthcare companies and their target audience with mobility impairments through CSR challenges and Community as a Service tools.

the development of the automotive industry in Turin has demonstrated the region's incredible capacity for adaptation and innovation. From the first steps of FIAT to the advanced technology of electric or autonomous vehicles, Turin has always proved to be a center of excellence in the automotive industry.
With a combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and a deep-rooted tradition in the field of transportation, Turin is ready to meet the challenges of smart mobility. and make its mark in automotive history by confirming its leading role in the design and production of superior vehicles.

If you are also part of an innovative organization, but are not yet mapped, you can do so now at this link!