What Moves You

WHAT MOVES YOU? LKYSPP ALUMNUS SAM WEMPE’S PASSION FOR TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY

 “I came into the programme focused on technology-specific solutions to transportation – saving the world with more robot cars,” he says. “Through my coursework, research, and instruction from professors, my perspective broadened. Instead, I saw the various challenges of the transportation network, of which autonomous vehicles play an important role but are not the silver bullet.”

“What moves you?” That’s the tagline for Motional, a new brand unveiled this year, which focuses on driverless vehicles. Motional is a joint venture between vehicle manufacturer Hyundai and automotive technology company Aptiv and has LKYSPP alumnus Sam Wempe (MPP2019) as its government relations manager.

Sam is the Government Relations Manager at Motional.

[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="“What moves you?” – what are your passions and goals –  is also the question that helped Sam shape his two years at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy into a path towards his dream job. The school helped him get a crucial internship with an automotive tech firm, nuTonomy, that turned into a full-time job offer after he graduated from the Master in Public Policy (MPP) programme in 2019. Modules he took at the School also helped him learn the communications skills to facilitate smooth collaboration between the public and private sectors.

When working with clients and stakeholders, remember that the way in which an idea is communicated is as important as the idea itself, he says. “Know your audience. Use terms they will understand,” he adds. “Big words don’t make you sound smart; explaining complex concepts clearly in plain language does.”

Motional’s focus on autonomous vehicles aims to shape the future of urban mobility and transportation in the United States. It is not just about driverless cars, Sam explains, but about solving real needs in urban transportation."][/ALUMNI-INFO]

Singapore already has driverless public transport options, including the North-East and Downtown MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) lines, the LRT (Light Rapid Transit), and the driverless buggies on the NUS Campus. But adoption of new technology in Singapore requires a different kind of communication between stakeholders than in the US. “Singapore has one layer of government that generally is working towards the same goal. The US has hundreds of governments and agencies – some aligned and others contradictory. That makes the stakeholder maps in the US orders of magnitude more complex and nuanced,” he says.

On the other hand, he notes, “while Singapore government is more streamlined, understanding its internal decision-making can be more opaque”.

Sam is the main point of contact for all relations between Motional and the US authorities, including the Federal, state and local governments. He also interacts with governments in other countries such as Singapore.

His job is to inform governments about how policy proposals affect the autonomous vehicle industry and to inform his organization about government priorities. If a state government is considering changing permit requirements for autonomous vehicles, then it is Sam’s role to communicate this to his company and ensure that the team is prepared for the changes.

He also facilitates collaboration between the private company and the public sector to ensure that both can achieve mutually satisfying outcomes. Both parties often have different priorities, leading to tricky negotiations. He calls it “a delicate balancing act”.

“However, when it works out, it's incredibly rewarding,” he adds.

[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="Sam has a bachelor of arts from the University of British Columbia, majoring in economics and political science. Before joining LKYSPP, he worked in client relations and digital advertising strategy, in roles that required communicating with political parties, state governments and tech companies.

His experience at the School helped him gain a deeper understanding of the public sector. “I came into the programme focused on technology-specific solutions to transportation – saving the world with more robot cars,” he says. “Through my coursework, research, and instruction from professors, my perspective broadened. Instead, I saw the various challenges of the transportation network, of which autonomous vehicles play an important role but are not the silver bullet.”

“Now, when I talk to government, I bring this wider perspective of how our technology is only one tool among many to achieving their policy goals.”

The best reward for him, he says, is hearing public officials take his talking points on board and even adopting policies he has proposed. “It feels great to contribute positively to how people get around their cities,” he says."][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]

Has Covid-19 and mobility restrictions affected the work he does? "The pandemic has been terrible across the board. However, if there is a silver lining from me, it is working with cities in the short term as they temporarily reorient streets to new uses: larger sidewalks to accommodate social distancing, new bike lanes, repurposing street parking for outdoor dining,” he says.

However, it is still too early to understand the impact on transportation, he says, pointing out that even the Spanish Flu a century ago did not stop humanity in its tracks. Soon after the epidemic ended, pre-flu transportation patterns returned.

“The entire industry is still calibrating itself for what are permanent changes and what needs to be mitigated in the short term. One thing is certain: if everyone retreats to their private vehicle (autonomous or otherwise) our streets will grind to a halt. The public and private sector need to work together to ensure shared transportation continues to be a cornerstone of how people get around.”

His advice to current students at LKYSPP is to look beyond grades and to consider acquiring experience in an area that fascinates them, through internships and the PAE project (for MPP students).  “Even if you do not have an internship, try to orient each project you do around something transportation-related or whatever your focus is,” he says. “Opt for going deep in one subject area or region during your time at LKYSPP rather than being a generalist.”

Ask yourself “What moves you?” indeed.