Review: "Moving Forward Together: Sustainable Mobility Through Diversity"

The public transport customer base is diverse, and their varying life realities must be considered when developing services. On November 26, 2024, more than 120 participants gathered for the event “Moving Forward Together: Sustainable Mobility Through Diversity” to discuss the importance of diversity in public transport.

A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Christa Hostettler (BAV):
"Promoting diversity requires perseverance – like a gym membership: only continuous effort leads to success."

Workshop A

Tour of the Alstom Powerlab: Opportunities and Challenges for Women

• Wolfgang Mayer and Denise Shalamov explored how women can be supported on their path to leadership positions and the obstacles that must be overcome.

Diversity in Action: BLS as a Pioneer of Equality

• Christian Hurni and Lou Aeschlimann showcased practical initiatives by BLS that promote a culture of equality and sustainably strengthen diversity.

Workshop B

Tour of the VBZ Tram Depot: Women in Technical Professions

• Christian Fischer and Cyrill Federer discussed strategies for specifically recruiting women into technical professions and supporting their integration.

Inclusive Design for Innovative Mobility

• Therese Naef and Christian Frisch demonstrated how to design mobility solutions inclusively to meet the diverse needs of all customers.

Prominent experts shared inspiring insights:

• Jennifer Bächli (CEO): "Leaders must model and actively promote diversity."
• Patrick Wittmann (Canadian Ambassador): "Parental leave and childcare are crucial factors for greater diversity."
• Christina Bachmann-Roth (The Women of the Centre): "Sustainable solutions only emerge when all perspectives are included."
• Annik Jeiziner (Engineer): "Diversity should be a strategic goal on the management agenda."
• Thomas Hablützel (VBZ): "Cultural change must be actively pursued and nurtured."

Hosts Marie Icardo (CEO of Alstom Switzerland) and Christine Meier (Director of Biel Public Transport), together with Swissrail and the VöV, initiated a cultural shift. Their goal: to create an inclusive work environment that welcomes and fosters all talents.

Event: Sustainable Mobility Through Diversity

The event on November 26, 2024, marked the beginning of an important dialogue. The insights gained will contribute to making public transport more sustainable and inclusive. Now, the task is to carry these impulses forward through continuous effort and collaboration – for mobility that meets the needs of everyone.

Check out the event highlights in our aftermovie.