Using emerging technologies to tackle mobility challenges caused by population ageing: Experiences from Japan

As population ageing accelerates globally, addressing its manifold impacts on society has become a critical mission for technological development. Mobility is a key domain where population ageing poses both challenges and opportunities. Innovations such as autonomous vehicles and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) are widely discussed in literature, with many studies focusing on user acceptance. But knowledge lacks about the experiences of implementing these innovations in mobility services for elderly people. This empirical study uses evidence from interviews with practitioners and experts to deepen knowledge of the mobility challenges caused by an ageing society, and how technological and service innovation could address these. With Japan as a case study, we examine: (1) mobility-related problems caused by population ageing and decline; (2) expectations regarding the potential of MaaS and autonomous vehicles to address these problems; and (3) barriers to achieving these expectations. The analysis reveals that population ageing in Japan is creating societal challenges especially in safety, driver shortages, deteriorating transport services and profitability, accessibility barriers, and compromised health and well-being. These challenges are interlinked and self-reinforcing, making them difficult to address. As next-generation mobility projects flourish across Japan, we identify tensions between expectations about their potential and the starker reality confronting them.