Fieldnotes: Bringing people together around intelligent movement.

4 min readJun 6, 2022

Learnings gathered at Einride Mesh, May 2022.

A conference screen displaying a small section of a vehicle. In front of the screen is Robert Falck, CEO Einride. In the foreground is the silhouette of the audience.

Movement in the right direction

An event that brings together some of the world’s most intriguing thinkers, challengers, creatives, and disruptors to share a vision for change is one not to miss. Touted as a “celebration of movement in the right direction” the event included speakers from a range of backgrounds in technology, sport, transport, consumer products and more, to celebrate what’s been done, in progress, and to come. For anyone who wants to be a part of positive change and to break from conventions, this event was for you.

For those that didn’t attend, this post is a summary of the themes that caught my attention.

“We should’ve started this 10 years ago”

– Jenny Keisu, CEO X Shore

“It’s about letting your heart lead your brain. If not you’ll end up in a very artificial situation. Imagine trying to make yourself fall in love with someone at a bar”

– Stefan Ytterborn, CEO of CAKE

Collaboration and partnership

One the of biggest themes to land across most discussions was the desire for collaboration. A mentality that we’re in this together and so we must fight together. We’re already behind the curve and heading towards disaster so we must look to partnerships, collaboration and open source tech. All while shifting our mindsets to be inclusive and work together for greater good.

“Partnership is the new leadership”
— Jenny Keisu, CEO X Shore
“We need companies to be open to collaborate”
— Electrolux
“The best form of flattery is copying — I really hope people do copy”
— Robert Falck, CEO Einride
“Reach out, ask for advice and collaborate”
— Anders Forslund, CEO of Heart Aerospace

A fireside chat on stage with representatives from 4 organisations sat side by side. On the screen behind them are 4 images. The first is an image of an Einride truck with Robert Falck below. The second is an X Shore boat with Jenny Keisu below. The third is a Heart Aerospace plane with Anders Forslund below. The fourth is a CAKE motorcycle with Stefan Ytterborn below.

Listen to your heart

Belief in the mission means listening to your heart. If like many, you believe change needs to happen, listen to the urge and get involved. The emotional pull to do good and to make change happen will inspire others to do the same. It’s a movement of people as much it is a movement of technology.

“It’s about letting your heart lead your brain. If not you’ll end up in a very artificial situation. Imagine trying to make yourself fall in love with someone at a bar”
— Stefan Ytterborn, CEO of CAKE

Have courage to get started

The climate challenge is a huge thing to wrap your head around — it can cause us to freeze like a deer in the headlights. To start is to have courage. If you have an idea or the drive, motivation and skills to bring to the party — don’t wait.

Motivation gets you half way, discipline gets you the rest. You have to feed your motivation
— Nils van der Poel, Olympic gold medalist: speed skating
“Just start. If you have an idea, just start. Fail fast, or join one of the teams doing it. We should’ve started this 10 years ago.”
— Jenny Keisu, CEO X Shore

We need to electrify everything

There are opportunities in our daily lives and the lifecycles of products that can sometimes get missed. Making positive change is not all about new things — it’s about being more efficient with what we have and making better decisions when it counts. When an appliance comes to the end of its lifecycle, make the decision to modernise and go electric. Think about breaking convention and habit by challenging yourself every time. Check out Saul Griffith’s book, Electrify: An optimists playbook for our clean energy future to learn more.

Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint — optimistic but feasible — for fighting climate change while creating millions of new jobs and an altogether healthier environment.
— Saul Griffith, inventor and author

The book cover for Saul Griffith’s publication: Electrify. Show is a white cover, blue lightning strike and black title text overlayed.

Digital and data are cornerstones of going electric

Making products and services that achieve the measures of success for a sustainable future means being able to measure and track impact. As we design the future, the need to be connected, to gather data and to use it to inform our decisions is a must. This begins with a focus on digital and a holistic, converged approach to an ecosystem in which a product exists. For those on the journey, make sure these are a core part of your strategy.

“If you want to go electric then you need to go digital — then utilise data”
— Electrolux

Finding inspiration in others

As a company, Einride are making big claims and strides towards a better future. The tech they’re developing looks to create “one battery cell that enables the future of transportation” — something showcased at the event through new software and hardware — aiming to create modular, autonomous products. Coming together to celebrate all that is happening in the mobility space is a big part of the journey towards change — one to inspire, start conversation, drive awareness and connect minds and create partnerships for anyone working in this space.

A big thanks to Einride and all speakers for the learnings. All images sourced from the event and owned by Einride.

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@stevewhapshott

Creative Director, Experience Design at frog