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Europe’s Transport Re-search Arena (TRA) pro-vides a unique forum for researchers, policy makers

and members of the road transport industry to share their knowledge, experience and expertise.

Co-organised by the European Commission, the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) and the Conference of European Directors of Roads (CEDR), biannual TRA conferences foster international and cross-sectoral networking, bringing together stakeholders to realise a shared vision for the future of transportation.

TRA 2008, the second European Road Transport Research Arena, was held this past April in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The conference wel-comed 1 300 scientists, engineers, policy makers and industry repre-sentatives, helping to forge new productive partnerships and bring-ing fresh perspectives to some of today’s most pressing issues.

TRA 2008 for research

TRA 2008 played a big part in help-ing to align private, regional, na-tional and European research ef-forts. By providing a meeting place for leaders in science, technol-ogy, business and government in a spirit of openness, the conference

proved a fertile ground for creating synergies around a shared Strategic Research Agenda (SRA).

TRA 2008 offered a wide range of networking opportunities, encour-aging scientists and engineers to combine and pool their talents in all areas of research and develop-ment (R&D). The dynamism of these new relationships should extend well beyond Ljubljana, helping to shape the future of European road trans-port research.

TRA for industry

The road transport industry is an innovative force in Europe and one of its largest R&D investors. Climate change, urban congestion, traffic safety and the increasing demand for transport require an ever-evolving set of solutions. And as sustainable mobility rises up the political agenda, bringing together major players in transportation to discuss the future becomes increasingly important.

As a driver of development, indus-try plays a crucial role in meeting the myriad challenges facing Eu-ropean transport. TRA 2008 par-ticipants shared ideas, discussed ways of implementing research re-sults and identified key focus areas for future endeavours.

TRA for policy makers

Mobility is an important policy issue: the free movement of people and goods is crucial to economic pros-perity and quality of life. However, as road congestion increases in the EU, policy makers face a dilemma raised by Commissioner Potočnik in his opening remarks: ‘How do we maintain the freedom and pros-perity that transport gives us today without increasing pollution, con-gestion, deaths and greenhouse gases? How do we break the link?’

TRA 2008 represented a major opportunity for European policy makers to learn first-hand about new developments and key issues in road transport science, technology and industry, enabling them to make informed and forward-looking decisions for a better transport system.

Greener, safer and smarter

The conference slogan, ‘Greener, safer and smarter road transport for Europe’, clearly placed the most critical concerns of the day as the overarching themes of TRA 2008. These themes were integrated into the entire programme and received special attention during the plenary sessions, where they were challenged by established leaders from all areas of society.

Greener, safer and smarter road transport for Europe

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Programme

The conference fostered a sys-temic approach to building sustain-able road transport. While individual project ideas gave the conference a decided lift, the overreaching goal was to find ways to efficiently link all of the parts of the whole sys-tem together.

Maximising infrastructure capacity, integrating safety solutions and creating new, intelligent mobility systems for urban environments are major topics of strategic importance. The TRA 2008 plenary sessions, featuring high-level invited keynote speakers, looked at these areas from several perspectives.

TRA 2008 parallel thematic sessions, meanwhile, addressed current and forthcoming European research activities and programmes, specific research areas, and cross-cutting issues. Specialised sessions were built on the four pillars set out by ERTRAC: mobility, transport and infrastructure; environment, energy

and resources; and safety and security.

Five additional poster sessions pre-sented the work of 118 authors, who fielded questions about their work.

Lively discussion was provoked throughout TRA 2008, in round-table discussions during plenary sessions, on the exhibition floor, during the long breaks between sessions and on technical excursions.

Exhibition

It is hard to convey the excitement generated by the exhibitions at TRA 2008. Work was presented from a variety of innovative EU-funded projects, including CityMobil (an automated urban transport system) and HOST (multipurpose modular vehicles), demonstrating the crea-tivity and advanced engineering capacity of European transporta-tion research.

New Member States’ participation

The TRA 2008 conference provided an opportunity for researchers from new Member States and other countries to meet EC officials who can facilitate their efforts. Information about the Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7) was presented, along with other action plans and initiatives. This provided a clear picture of funding and support possibilities to new players in the field, and also provided a springboard for discussion about the direction of European transportation research.

Looking around

Slovenia, at the crossroads of Europe, is where the principal pan-European transport corridors meet. These corridors are used by more than 50 000 freight and passenger vehicles a day, travel-ling between Barcelona and Kiev, or Germany and Greece. Most of the 460 kilometres of motorways crossing this Alpine country are less than a decade old.

TRA 2008 featured a number of events showcasing some of Slove-nia’s major road transport facilities and projects, which gave confer-ence-goers a new appreciation for the rapid advances in the central European transportation network.

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Organising TRA 2008

Building on the success of the first TRA conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, TRA 2008 in Ljubljana saw a dramatic increase in meeting attendance, signalling the suc-cess of both the previous confer-ence and the Transport Research Arena concept.

The programme was organised by 40 members from 16 countries and notably representatives of EU Directorates-General for Research, Information Society and Transport and Energy. Seven leaders reviewed presentation papers, ensuring high-calibre content.

The European Commission worked together with the CEDR and ER-TRAC to organise strategic and thematic sessions, while a special communication task force played an important role in organising the plenary sessions.

This brochure was produced by the Directorate Transport of the Direc-torate General for Research of the European Commission. Its content is based in part on the report pro-duced by TRA 2008 Conference Committee chairmen Mr Matija Vilhar, Mr Vili Žavrlan and Mr Aleš Žnidarič, with the support of TRA 2008 General Secretary Mr Michel Egger and Professor Mike McDonald.

Contributions of European Com-missioner for Research, Dr Janez Potočnik, and of the Deputy Di-rector-General for Research of the European Commission, Mr. Zoran Stančič, to the success of TRA 2008 in Ljubljana have been invaluable.

New voices

One of the main successes of TRA 2008 was the Young European Arena of Research (YEAR 2008) competition, which raised the scientific quality of the event considerably. Contributions from 294 PhD students and other early-stage researchers from all over Europe were refereed by a jury of eminent experts in a range of research areas.

Authors of the 50 best entries prepared posters for presenta-tion. Commissioner Dr Potočnik, ERTRAC Chairman Dr Steiger and a representative of the jury pre-sented medals to the winners, and these bright young scientists, whose concepts ranged from soot modelling to artificial intelli-gence, were warmly applauded by a large audience.

Preparations for YEAR 2010 began immediately after TRA 2008, and the organisers look forward to seeing more innovative ideas from emerg-ing talent at the next conference.

On the move to TRA

The Ljubljana conference played a part in advancing the strate-gic plan for European transport by promoting the constructive and efficient use of resources, and by helping to ensure that re-search can deliver where it is most needed. TRA 2008 answered the call for a coordinated European, national, regional and private re-search arena by bringing together talent and leadership from across Europe and promoting the goal of a greener, safer and smarter Euro-pean transport sector.

TRA is not just a conference but an arena that brings together all stakeholders in the area of road transport. TRA 2008 served as a forum for leaders in transportation research, industry and administra-tion to share their ideas and create valuable new partnerships.

The momentum achieved during the week-long event has been sustained and will continue to grow over the next couple of years. Building on the success of TRA 2006, the groundwork has been laid for an even better TRA 2010.

Greener, safer and smarter road transport for Europe

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Greener

Transportation has a major impact on our daily lives, providing a major source of employment, delivering goods and enabling countless activities. Efficient

transport infrastructure reduces isolation and plays a key role in social, regional and economic cohesion. The freedom that road transport offers has proved essential to European prosperity; the liberalisation of road freight, opening of central and eastern European markets and rapid advances in electronic inventory management have all led to a steady increase in traffic.

But today’s European transportation arena faces an epic challenge: it must meet the growing energy demands of road transport and at the same time reduce its contribu-

tion to global greenhouse gas emis-sions. The impact of road congestion on health, quality of life and the envi-ronment are hard to ignore, and major technological advances reducing the polluting effects of vehicles have been overshadowed by the effects of growth.

Finding lasting solutions hinges on fruit-ful and ongoing collaboration between industry experts, creative minds and those in a position to implement change. Speaking at TRA 2008, ERTRAC Chairman Wolfgang Steiger remarked, ‘Ours is one of the largest, most complex and multi-disciplinary sectors in Europe and indeed the world, and a provider of fundamental services in terms of mobility of goods and people, but we are also responsible for im-portant levels of CO2 emissions. It is crucial that we work together with the largest pos-sible number of contributors, from suppliers to manufacturers and from political leaders to road users.’

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GreenerAchieving sustainable develop-ment is no small task: harmonising growth in a competitive economy, and preserving quality of life and the environment while respon-sibly utilising natural resources and space are all required. The tremendous efforts in design and implementation that this harmoni-sation requires inspired rigorous debate at TRA 2008. rigorous de-bate at TRA2008.A greener TRA

Because the rapid growth of the transport sector has such far-reaching implications for people and the environment, the theme ‘Energy, environment and re-sources’ formed one of the six pil-lars of the TRA 2008 programme. Substantial evidence showing an urgent need for more research on the impact of transportation infra-structures on health and the envi-ronment was presented.

Costs

Road freight is growing faster than GDP (gross domestic product), and the growth rate of international road freight transport is especially high. Traffic congestion in the EU is estimated to cost 1.7% of GDP: that’s approximately EUR 160 billion per year or EUR 360 per year for every citizen – more than the EU’s budget (EUR 250 per

year per citizen). Environmental costs account for around EUR 100 000 million, and studies estimate infrastructure- and accident-related costs to be around EUR 500 billion for 19 Member States.

A shift is now required towards more sustainable transport modes that include rail, short-sea ship-ping and inland waterway trans-port. Enabling smooth transitions between all transport modes is essential. At TRA 2008, scientists, engineers and policy makers ad-

dressed this and many other effi-ciency issues, sharing ideas that would help meet the Kyoto goal of replacing 30% of fossil fuel usage by 2020 and at the same time confer economic benefits.

Climate change

Global warming is an overweigh-ing issue in transportation re-search. Studies that initially focus on other subjects routinely evolve to include climate impacts in

Fuel cells: HYTRAN project looks to the future

Hydrogen fuel cells are clean, efficient and can generate electricity from either renewable or fossil fuels. The HYTRAN (‘Hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies for road transport’) project, funded with EUR 8.81 million from the EU, presented its latest work at TRA 2008, and demonstrated two new, innovative and commercially viable fuel-cell sub-systems: Powertrain, an 80kW direct hydrogen polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel-cell system for traction power in a passenger car; and a 5kW auxiliary power unit for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles.

HYTRAN engineers took on some of the major bottlenecks in fuel-cell-system design, and strove to optimise the costs, durability, weight, volume and efficiency of their systems to make them commercially viable. The result was a demonstration of a fuel-cell concept with high ‘well-to-wheel’ efficiency (i.e. low fuel consumption), easy and optimised packaging and on-board integration.

HYTRAN was only one of many innovative alternative fuel or power-train application projects presented at the conference. The New Inte-grated Combustion System for Future Passenger Car Engines (NICE), Highly Integrated Combustion Electric Propulsion System (HI-CEPS) and Green Heavy-Duty Engine (GREEN) projects, among others, also showed their latest developments in environmentally friendly (and fun to drive) propulsion systems for passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles alike.

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their work, as meeting the global warming challenge is expected to lead naturally to resolutions in many related areas, such as safety or congestion.

Four clear characteristics of cli-mate change were summarised during the first plenary session of TRA 2008: it is cumulative; it is glob-al; its effects are irreversible; and the time lags are long – today’s emissions are tomorrow’s problems. With this as a baseline, the issues were discussed in comprehensive detail from several angles.

Ultimately, the major outcomes of the ‘greener’ sessions can be summarised in three major points. First, global warming is the most important issue facing society, and transport has a central role

to play in meeting the EU’s ambi-tious targets for reducing green-house gas emissions. Compelling research results and suggestions for future directions provide much food for thought, but how exactly the sector can meet these targets remains to be seen.

Second, evidence shows that fuel use will evolve from the cur-rent petrol/diesel model to elec-tricity or hydrogen-based fuels. The main drivers of this shift will be the price and availability of fossil fuels as well as incentives for car-bon reduction.

Lastly, continued research efforts in specific areas of concern, such as non-CO2 gas emissions and noise, would be highly desirable.

Noise

Traffic is loud. Road and rail noise exposes between 20% and 30% of the European popula-tion to excessive decibel levels, and technical solutions that can preserve or restore quiet while maintaining current mobility are avidly sought. A number of re-search projects presented at TRA 2008 focused on noise problems, ranging from integral acoustic management along Dutch mo-torways to rumble strip noise in Denmark. In addition to scientific analysis, novel technical solutions such as low-noise tyres and road surfaces were presented.

The time lag between identification of a problem and efforts to control it is usually quite long. Researchers and policy makers at TRA 2008 en-joyed a unique opportunity to ex-change ideas directly, paving the way for implementation.

The conference conclusions sup-ported continued research on the extent and impact of noise and cost-effective ways to control it, but acting on research results is in the hands of industry and policy decision makers.

Green machines

Perhaps the most visible aspect of road transport’s impact on the

YEAR 2008 Winners

Young European researchers brought a breath of fresh air to TRA 2008 at the YEAR 2008 competition, presenting original ideas with enthusiasm and meeting the people who could take those ideas to the next level. YEAR 2008 winners in the Energy, Environment and Resources theme presented new approaches to the health and environmental challenges faced by the transportation industry.

David Broadstock of the University of Surrey in the UK analysed whether behavioural changes can realistically underpin carbon reduction targets in the UK’s road transport sector, while Caroline Marchal of Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in France created a computer model for soot in diesel engines. Mona Lisa of Instituto Superior Técnico in Portugal applied selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to the control of greenhouse gas emissions in light- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles, and Francesco Pilla of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland demonstrated how a virtual environment can be used to assess the effect of development on the surrounding soundscape.

The contributions of all of the YEAR 2008 contestants were warmly welcomed, and those of the winners applauded roundly. As Mr Eugene O’Brien, coordinator of the YEAR project and professor at the University College of Dublin, said: ‘This work is important, not just for the work itself but also for the human resources that it produces. This new generation of transport experts will be the future leaders in the industry.’

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Greenerenvironment is the vehicles them-selves. TRA 2008 featured many presentations on vehicle design addressing the need for environ-mental adaptations. It was widely acknowledged that throughout the arena, new technologies for vehicle and engine construc-tion, new production processes, reduced production costs and better identification of consumer needs are necessary.

Additionally, end-of-life strate-gies for vehicles, materials and infrastructure were discussed in terms of their potential to provide economic opportunities, and could support more sustainable transport development and eco-nomic growth.

Regarding vehicles, the TRA 2008 conference conclusions were sum-marised in three main points: first, research has established the po-tential benefits of cooperative driving systems to reduce environmental impact. Second, efficiencies gained by the con-siderable body of ongoing re-search into energy loss in general, and power t ra ins in particular, have started to confer incremen-tal benefits. Lastly,

viable new technologies and busi-ness models are needed for the roll-out of new, safe and sustain-able vehicles; further research in all areas should be well supported.

Future directions for cleaner road transport

Environmental concerns and cli-mate change are at the top of today’s political agenda. The transport sector is a main driver in producing technical and scien-tific solutions as citizens and gov-ernments alike demand action to alleviate mounting pressure on local environments. It is also a piv-otal actor in achieving Europe’s wider climate change targets.

Consensus at TRA 2008 was that a sustainable future for European transport requires radical and in-novative approaches. Climate-change-focused research results are incipient; the road transport community as a whole is looking forward to major developments by the next TRA in 2010.

‘We must provide sustainable and acceptable choices for all trans-port users,’ the conference report concludes. ‘As a result of the re-search presented here, trans-port is already moving toward a smoother, safer, smarter future.’

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Safer

Road transport safety and security were among the key themes of TRA 2008. Improving transport safety

for all EU citizens is a paramount research priority of FP7. Currently, between 40 000 and 50 000 people are killed on EU roads every year and more than 1.5 million are seriously injured, with costs to the economy of more than EUR 200 billion.

It is imperative that these figures are reduced, and TRA 2008 set out steps to achieve this.

The objective of halving the number of road deaths in the EU by 2010 is a serious challenge. In his opening speech, Commissioner Potocnik said, ‘Despite Europe’s pledge in 2001 to cut its 57 000 traffic fatalities by 50% by 2010, today more than 40 000 people still lose their lives every year on Europe’s roads in car accidents. That is the equivalent of five medium-sized airliners crashing every week.’

With so many deaths on European roads, the EU cannot afford to be complacent about traffic safety. To reduce the figures, research priorities need to be harmonised between business, industry, science and policy makers. At TRA 2008, road safety sessions focused on getting all relevant stakeholders on board to figure out how to adapt human behaviour, vehicle technology and infrastructure to drastically reduce the danger of road travel.

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SaferRoad safety

Automotive industry experts, in-frastructure suppliers, road us-ers and European Commission representatives reflected on the strategies best suited to halving road deaths in Europe. In addi-tion to discussing risk analysis and safety assessment generally, par-ticipants presented a wide range of interesting perspectives.

Motorcycle safety, crash analysis, using fuzzy logic to predict accident severity, the hazards of two-lane-road traffic and comparing safety between European regions were just a few of the topics covered.

The outcome of the conference was consensus on several over-reaching conclusions. First, there is significant variation across Europe in accident levels; accident pat-terns in different EU countries should be investigated and the outcomes addressed in the interests of an integrated European motorway system. Also, infrastructure as well as safety training and enforce-ment are crucial to delivering safe roads, and best-practice methods must be shared across the EU.

Second, the recent body of re-search that has shed new light on driver behaviour should inform design changes to make vehicle operation easier and safer. Future research efforts should also focus

on serious-injury accidents and fatalities, as more robust statistical evidence in this area could lead to life-saving adaptations to both vehicles and roads.

The important part played by cross-disciplinary research was emphasised throughout the con-ference. It is crucial to successfully identifying, addressing and avoid-ing the causes of traffic accidents. Cross-thematic and integrated re-search, the basic building blocks of a knowledge-based economy, will lead to speedier resolutions of the safety challenges facing to-day’s transportation arena.

Lastly, manufacturers will con-tinue to deliver increasingly safe vehicles; nevertheless, a more in-tegrated stakeholder approach

is necessary. Safety standards must be high and must be met, but in products that fit the needs and desires of consumers.

Integrated transport safety

Improving the infrastructure of the EU’s road networks is of primary importance for the competitiveness of the economy. The EU relies on its road network for national and international trading, and state-of-the-art transport infrastructure will help to speed up the conveyance of goods.

Speakers at TRA 2008 agreed that more innovation is needed in highway engineering to improve safety, and specifically to address the problems of ageing road sur-

YEAR 2008 Winners

The YEAR 2008 presentation at TRA 2008 showcased fresh perspec-tives on safety, ranging from structural monitoring of suspension bridges to inter-vehicle communication and in-vehicle ergonomics.

Finalists in the automotive design and production areas presented novel concepts such as the aerodynamically efficient motorcycle designed by Amrit Sharma of Imperial College London, Stefania Arangio’s model for the structural monitoring of long-span suspension bridges, a moving-obstacle detection system for an autonomous guided vehicle developed by France’s Yann Dumortier, and a vehicle alert system by Kristoffer Lidströmm of Halmstad University in Sweden.

The winners were presented with their medals at TRA 2008 at the opening ceremony of the conference in front of 1 200 delegates.

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avoid unnecessary structural work, and also to prevent the

corrosion of existing structures. Im-plementing long-lasting rehabilita-tion techniques of unsafe bridges is also necessary.

New approaches to managing space responsibly must include generating resources to improve infrastructure. In terms of main-tenance and design, substantial opportunities exist for collabora-tion with the US.

Business models and roll-out strat-egies must also be developed

that make safe and sustainable vehicles commercially viable for all stakeholder groups.

In all areas of safety research, dissemination of results and best practice to key stakeholders is of paramount importance.

Securing roads in the EU

EU trade, both internal and external, relies on efficient road transport systems, but these systems can be easy targets and even vectors for terrorist activities. EU surface transport research includes work on security of containers, terminals, vessels, and critical infrastructure such as bridges and tunnels, among many other security measures.

The ability to implement ambi-tious policies aimed at reducing transport-related risks depends on state-of-the-art research and technological development. To-day’s EU-supported research fo-cuses on the operation of vehicles and infrastructure as well as the transport system as a whole.

Participants at the TRA 2008 con-ference saw the results of frontier research on safety of drivers, pas-sengers, crew, cyclists, pedestri-ans and goods; the way has been paved for safer, more secure Eu-ropean roads.

Choose ESC

One of the TRA 2008 road safety presentations highlighted a brand-new technology that could help EU drivers stay safer on the roads.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) offers drivers a safety support system that uses independent brake pressure to avoid skids in sud-den critical situations. The system works by using a computerised sensor and an anti-lock braking system that checks steering inten-tion against driver direction 25 times a second. If a critical situa-tion arises, ESC supports the driver by braking one or both wheels when necessary to correct over- or under-steering.

At least 40% of fatal road accidents are the result of skidding, and studies show that installing ESC in a car can reduce the likelihood of skidding by up to 80%. Installation of the system in cars across the EU would therefore dramatically cut accident rates.

Consequently, the European Commission is funding a campaign called Choose ESC to encourage EU drivers to install the system. Campaign manager David Ward says, ‘The effectiveness of ESC is now well established by independent research in Europe, Japan and the USA. In the European Union it is estimated that ESC could help avoid 4 000 deaths and 100 000 injuries.’

f a c e s so that

they can better cater to

heavy vehicles.

Raising the standard of road structures in new Mem-

ber States and central and eastern European countries to the

level necessary for their full eco-nomic integration into the EU was also a matter of intense discussion. Procedures must be put in place to

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Talent, know-how, patience and vision are needed to tackle the myriad and often conflicting challenges facing today’s

transport arena. To maintain growth and reduce emissions, intelligent vehicle and infrastructure designs must be developed and implemented. Additionally, smooth transitions between transport modes, interconnected (and functional) information systems and free-flowing traffic in the cities are required to maintain flexibility.

At TRA 2008, sessions focused on mobility, space, management and design. Presentations featured forward-thinking ideas for optimising energy efficiency, using new materials for better infrastructures, reducing travel times and providing low-cost, high-standard transport services. The participation of public authorities, municipalities and civil society members in discussions brought a practical dimension to the proceedings.

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European design and production

According to Commissioner Potočnik, the motor vehicle in-dustry spends EUR 19 billion per year on research and technolog-ical development, making it the largest private investor in R&D in Europe. ‘This fact has helped to keep the European road trans-port sector one of the most com-petitive in the world,’ he said.

But for Europe to remain com-petitive, new concepts for de-sign and production must meet a very high standard. Innovative topics shown at TRA 2008, rang-ing from a modular lightweight ‘sandwich bus’ concept to sus-tainable lightweight-car produc-tion technologies, demonstrated that European development is on the right track.

The conference covered all aspects of road transport research, focusing on the Strategic Research Agenda defined by ERTRAC. Among the many other inventive concepts demonstrated at the conference, were improved design and production techniques for vehicle powertrains and novel pavement materials, both of which will go a long way towards improving the energy efficiency of road travel.

Sessions on intelligent transport systems featured a broad range of concepts, such as an intel-ligent route-guidance system and a scenario for ‘smart roads’ that uses sensing and real-time networking technologies. Links between satellite and terrestrial communications technologies were explored in several projects: real-time traffic and travel infor-mation, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure linkages, and nomadic systems were the subject of enthusiastic dialogue.

The conference showcased the benefits of combining and co-

ordinating European, national, regional and private research actions, and served as an ideal platform for networking, clustering and pooling R&D capacities.

A smarter European network: who pays?

About half of the growth in European goods transportation (a forecasted 38% increase over 1998) is expected to take place within the new EU Member States. This trend represents a new series of hurdles for sustainable development. The emerging,

YEAR 2008 Winners

Applicants for the Young Researcher Awards presented at TRA 2008 let their imaginations fly in all areas of transportation research, including a ‘Future Visions’ category. The young scientists presented scenarios for road transport in 100 years’ time, solutions for vexed car manufacturers, novel vehicle designs and better road surfaces.

The work was diverse, to say the least, touching every area of the transportation industry. Maryam Miradi of Delft University in the Netherlands explored ways to cut road maintenance costs by using artificial intelligence for pavements. Yann Dumortier of Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris (ENSMP) in France developed a cost-efficient obstacle detection system, while Dónal Gildea of University College Dublin in Ireland created a systematic framework to help car designers select which of 20 joining technologies is best suited to each of the hundreds of joints involved in a vehicle’s assembly.

It hardly seems fair to highlight the work of the medal winners, as the YEAR competitors’ contributions were, to the last, outstandingly inventive.

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decentralised economic activities put stress on existing infrastructure, increasing the demand for a seamless, flexible, attractive and user-friendly mobility system.

Better land-use planning, im-proved information dissemination and integration of collective and private transport modes are all key areas of research activity. At TRA 2008, policy makers, municipali-ties and civil society representa-tives worked on the tricky problem of harmonising new vehicles with existing infrastructure, and of inte-grating regional and national net-works all the way up the logistic transport supply chain.

Fostering innovation and putting ideas into action requires clever financing. It was made clear

through conference presentations and discussion that charging for access to roads is a technically sound and socially acceptable approach to generating revenue. Taxation remains an issue, though, and creating a system that can be consistently applied through-out Europe is expected to remain politically problematic.

Continuity of services across European borders is a key objective of road management, but this is difficult to achieve without new hardware, software systems and services. In terms of creating better networks, the conference concluded that more integrated system management approaches are needed.

CityMobil

The CityMobil project was undertaken to tackle the twin problems of congestion and pollution in Europe’s cities by developing innovative automated public transport systems (ATS) that can take passengers exactly where they want to go, when they want to go.

A model of CityMobil’s fully automated, unmanned cybercar, equipped with an obstacle-detection system based on a laser scan-ner, was shown at TRA 2008. The environmentally friendly vehicle eliminates driver errors and is up to 50% more energy efficient than its conventional counterparts. It does not require a driver’s license and anyone can use it, including those with a physical disability.

Autonomous cars can also be moved easily to remote parking areas when not needed, freeing up spaces which would otherwise be turned into car parks. Castellón, Rome and Heathrow are the main pilot demonstration sites, and a number of other towns, including Uppsala in Sweden and Lausanne in Switzerland are hosting smaller demonstration projects.

Through its activities, CityMobil is proving the technical feasibility of automated transport systems and effectively dismantling administrative and operational barriers to their wider implementation. Its 26 project partners come from 10 countries, including 7 EU Member States. They include public authorities, manufacturers and suppliers of transport systems, universities, research institutes and public transport organisations.

A smarter, more mobile EU

The flexibility offered by road transport becomes irrelevant in the face of increasing traffic con-gestion and accidents. In the EU, the free movement of people and goods, which is crucial to economic prosperity and quality of life, has come to rely on road transport, often to the exclusion of other modes.

Optimising the flow of traffic and minimising its environmental im-pact are clearly among the most important objectives of European research; however, efforts to im-prove alternative modes of trans-portation must be intensified, and smooth linkages between modes facilitated. According to several speakers at the conference, the importance of involving the pub-lic in planning these processes cannot be underestimated.

TRA 2008 was a magnet for crea-tive minds. Contributors to sessions on future visions, innovative de-signs and intelligent systems pro-vided inspiration and new lines of thought for participating industry and government representatives.

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European mobility, calculated by kilometres travelled per day, is now 3 times higher than it was 20 years ago. About 80% of the EU population lives in cities, and despite

improvements in public transportation systems, cars account for 75% of urban kilometres travelled. Clearly, flexibility is a pivotal issue.

Cleaner, quieter, and more effective public and private transport is needed in Europe’s cities. A wealth of new designs and organisational approaches to urban mobility were presented at TRA 2008. Participants considered the need for cohesion and for rapid, functional system response to demographic changes to be beyond debate, and called for their resolution at EU and regional levels.

At TRA 2008, scientists, engineers and city planners shared their visions for optimising the flow of people and traffic in urban areas, improving energy efficiency while decreasing pollution, and maximising flexibility using new and integrated information systems. Crucially, they addressed the effects of changing human behaviour on the relevance of urban transportation systems.

The engagement and support of public authorities, municipalities and civil society representatives in issues of urban mobility is of paramount importance. TRA 2008 provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to meet and work together on these important issues, which have serious implications for the quality of life in our cities.

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Public transportation

A high percentage of moving cars in any given city carry only the driver. Efforts to convince more people to use public transporta-tion have been largely ineffec-tive, mainly owing to its rigidity. The imposed (but not necessarily observed) timetables do not al-ways match the intended users’ needs, the vehicles themselves can be uncomfortable, and fur-ther distances at either end add precious time to the journey.

Research in public transportation tackles the conflicting demands of autonomy and economy, with the goal of providing flexible, in-dividualised, seamless and reli-able transportation services. Cur-rent sustainable urban mobility research focuses on future car technology, driver behaviour, en-ergy consumption and commer-cially viable strategies for putting alternative-fuel-based cars on the market.

In addition to conceptualising new, multimodal shared transport systems, considerable effort has been put into developing hybrid diesel-electric buses, alternative fuels for city trains; modifying engines, tracks, wheels and cooling systems for quieter metropolitan transport; and developing appropriate land-use management strategies.

Innovations in urban freight delivery and market uptake of alternative fuels have also been the subject of much attention.

The TRA 2008 sessions fostered dialogue on re-orienting the ob-jectives of public transportation research, and also addressed many of the barriers to deploy-ing innovative transportation concepts. Linking R&D results and trends with ‘real-world’ implemen-tation demands the full engage-ment of decision makers.

Research presentations estab-lished that targeted improve-

YEAR 2008 Winners

Three of the Young Researcher Awards were given to the authors of inventive urban mobility projects: Ifigeneia Balampekou of the University of Southampton in the UK examined the potential of hand-held traveller information devices to influence travel behaviour, while Jean-Michel Contet of France’s University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard presented a new platoon-based transportation system. Yacine Khaled of the Université de Technologie de Compiègne in France explored routing in vehicular ‘ad hoc’ networks.

Ms Balampekou stressed the importance of providing up-to-date, live public transport information to travellers via a handheld device, and of making this information available at all hours and locations during a trip. The result would be better organisation and satisfaction with public transportation generally and, on an individual level, smoother linkages and reduced frustration. Mr Khaled explored communication protocols in traffic-networks management that are independent of the traffic conditions. Mr Contet took on the problem of driving commuters, and proposed the use of fleets of automated cars that are designed for short- to medium-distance trips at low speed.

ments to public transportation systems would vastly improve ur-ban mobility, health, the environ-ment and the local economy. The results of these investigations are increasingly available to policy makers and municipalities, and the conference was one of many platforms by which policy makers can inform their decisions.

The next step is putting theory into practice: conference partici-pants underlined the importance of supporting large-scale dem-onstrations to make the viability of these ideas a reality for the voting public.

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City streets

New approaches to managing and prioritising road space are needed for the development of sustainable urban transportation. At TRA 2008, transportation stake-holders agreed that connectiv-ity and interoperability between the city streets, regional roads and national highway networks throughout the EU are also es-sential. Sessions on urban mobility addressed how best to manage space, promote business and protect quality of life.

Those delivering goods in cities both contribute to and suffer from the nuisance of traffic conges-tion. Because measures favouring restrictive policies (low-emission zones, access control, etc.) have

created logistical problems that impact retail activities, alternative approaches (e.g. reserved lanes) have received special attention. At TRA 2008, the FIDEUS project presented its latest progress in high-performance, low-emission delivery vehicles that incorporate logistics tools. The researchers hope their vehicles will reduce the space demands of urban freight delivery, ultimately allowing cities to be reclaimed by pedestrians.

Communication tools designed to improve the flow of traffic, such as real-time information systems for drivers and travellers and cy-bercars, were also demonstrated, and the growing demand for ad-dressing the needs of elderly and disabled travellers in urban envi-ronments were addressed.

Clean fuel technology and the development of alternative fuels form the cornerstone of several transportation projects as they are essential for improving the quality of life in cities. A demon-stration of the CIVITAS project in Ljubljana showed intriguing alter-native-fuel applications; beyond the science, the demonstration generated interest because it in-tegrated transport policy with in-novative technology.

The conference concluded that more concerted engineering ef-forts are needed to resolve the problems of ageing infrastructure throughout the transportation sys-tem; safety, pollution and conges-tion are all affected by neglect in this area.

HOST

The HOST (Human Oriented Sustainable Transport) modular transport units presented at TRA 2008 were designed for the urban transport of passengers and goods. The idea behind the project was to develop cost-effective, modular, hybrid vehicles that run on alternative fuels using latest combustion technologies. The project partners hope the vehicles will help to organise urban traffic in a sustainable (and more rational) way, and to decrease the cost of manufacturing hybrid vehicles.

The HOST prototype showed some intriguing possibilities. A video demonstration of the complete system showed a chassis, with wheels that can rotate sideways for fully flexible handling, onto which one of several cabins may be anchored. The cabins range from taxicabs to dump trucks with extra wheels attached. The idea is to re-use components so that the same basic structure can be adapted to a user’s changing needs.

Urban Mobility

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Also, maintenance and renewal techniques that address the ef-fects of climate change must be given appropriate status in R&D.

Conclusions

It was clearly demonstrated at TRA 2008 that the development of innovative vehicle types should open up new opportunities to improve or develop mobility systems and services for both people and goods. Also, new hardware and software develop-ments offer the possibility

for more efficient, safe and sustainable delivery of goods.

However, systems and services that can provide the information needed by travellers to optimise traffic flow and minimise conges-tion are incipient. Large-scale demonstration projects that show the positive impacts of changes to public transportation systems or freight delivery would allow steps to be taken towards better, more efficient urban mobility systems.

The EU’s goal of sustainable and accessible urban mobility for all citizens hinges on solid research and integrated town planning. Innovative organisation schemes, clean and safe vehicles, new public transportation modes, rational private transport, and communication infrastructure re-search are all necessary to ad-dress the specific needs of differ-ent urban populations.

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S lovenia sits at the cross-roads of two pan-Euro-pean transport corridors, between the mountains

of Austria and Italy in one direc-tion, and the plains of Hungary and the Adriatic Sea in the other. These major routes are used every day by over 50 000 freight and passenger vehicles, and over 460 kilometres of newly built motor-ways and expressways now cross the country, most of them less than a decade old.

Slovenia is densely criss-crossed by roads of all different sizes, and its central location makes it easily accessible from all parts of Europe and beyond. By 2013, an addi-tional 500 kilometres of motorways and expressways will be added to this network, speeding the pas-sage of the goods and passen-ger vehicles crossing through the green heart of Europe.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was a natural choice to host the 2008 TRA conference. In this era of intelligent transport solutions, the nation is paying particular attention to establishing intelligent systems for traffic management and safety, and to incorporating technological advances that will improve all as-pects of travel on its roads.

‘Slovenia is one of the greenest areas in Europe, and we would like to keep it so,’ commented Slovenian Transport Minister Ra-dovan Žerjav. ‘Despite being a small country, we fall among rela-tively well-developed countries in terms of industry, and contribute a significant part to the worsen-ing of climate conditions, whether intentionally or unconsciously. We have an active approach to tack-ling climate change: we seek to improve all contributing factors, from the climate impact of local industry to the impact resulting from road transport.

‘TRA is where long-term visions and ideas interact with short-term activities,’ said Mr Žerjav. TRA’s vi-sion for transport infrastructure is important for Slovenia, he added, ‘because as citizens of Europe we would like to see important infra-structure investments fulfilling the needs of future generations’.

TRA 2008 brought together ex-perts, visionaries, and politicians in Ljubljana during Slovenia’s first EU presidency, strengthening the foundations of cooperation between myriad transport stake-holders. The conference marked a major step forward in making sustainable, state-of-the-art trans-port a reality for the citizens of the ‘green heart of Europe.’

TRAin Ljubljana

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The European Commis-sion, CEDR (Conference of European Directors of Roads) and ERTRAC (Eu-

ropean Road Transport Research Advisory Council) are pleased to invite you to the third Transport Research Arena, to be hosted in Brussels, Belgium, from 7 to 10 June 2010.

Building on the success of the pre-vious TRA conferences in Gothen-burg, Sweden and Ljubljana, Slov-enia, TRA 2010 presents a golden opportunity for EU road transport stakeholders and researchers to discuss new strategies for re-alising a true European Road Transport Research Arena. All the stakeholders involved in transport research will once again come together to present their findings, learn what is new and discuss the challenges facing Europe today in the road transport sector.

The purpose of TRA 2010 is to help the stakeholders of transport R&D to align their goals on European, national, regional and private R&D levels. The Transport Research Arena contributes to innovation for sustainable mobility in Europe by enhancing the networking and clustering of Europe’s R&D capacity, which is based on a shared SRA and Research Framework.

Sustaining road transport mobility

through innovation in Europe

The main theme of TRA 2010 is ‘Sustaining road transport mobil-ity through innovation in Europe’. Technological and scientific break-throughs that will help to make sus-tainable road transport a reality are fundamental to the health of the economy and the environ-ment. The local organisers, the Flemish Roads and Traffic Agency and the Public Services of Wallo-nia in conjunction with the Belgian Road Association, will offer you a comprehensive forum in which to exchange information on road transport research and innovation.

Practical details

When: 7-10 June 2010

Where: ‘Square Brussels Meeting Centre’ Brussels, Belgium

Abstractsubmission: 31 March 2009

Approvalofabstracts: 15 June 2009

FullPapersubmission: 1 October 2009

Approvaloffullpapers andacceptance fororalpresentation: 15 January 2010

Website: www.traconference.eu

For scientific information please contact:Belgian Road Research Centre (BRRC):program@traconference.eu

For general information please contact:Roads and Traffic Agency: info@traconference.eu

European Commission

TRA 2008 - Transport Research Arena conference - Ljubljana, Slovenia 2008

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

2009 — 32 pp. — 17.6 x 25 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-10039-0DOI 10.2777/21249

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