Overview
'Transport and economic development' is a strategic research programme within TOI's wider 'Cost benefit analysis' research area. The main objective of the 'Cost benefit analysis' research area is to develop methods and tools for the appraisal of strategic transport plans. This includes the development of methods for selecting optimal packages of projects and policies, including project selection from a portfolio of interdependent infrastructure projects and optimal policy packages incorporating pricing, fares, subsidies and management measures.
The main objective of the 'Transport and Economic Development' programme is to promote new research-based knowledge of industrial-economic activities and development of public tools (infrastructure investments, costs of operation and maintenance and fee policies) within transport. The programme will comprise sub-projects of a theoretical nature and empirical studies. Effects on both micro- and macro-level are to be studied.
Sub-objectives:
- Contribute to a better understanding of how public transport initiatives and politics affect single firms, as well as competitive position and economic development.
- Generate knowledge about economic consequences and profit of investments in transport infrastructure, based on empiric research.
- Uncover empirical relations, based on economic theory, which can contribute to the (further) development of analytical tools.
- Long-term competence training about the consequences of transport initiatives for economic activity and development.
This programme is a strategic institute programme (SIP), aimed at developing new research areas and rendering professional activities leading to a deeper understanding. The programme's status is reported to the Norwegian Research Council every year. The initiative to establish the strategic institute programme was made by the institute itself, while the Norwegian Research Council is held responsible for the professional quality assurance of the SIP. The programme is organised into theoretical projects and empirical studies.
Funding
This programme is financed by the Research Council and the Institute of Transport Economics, granting a yearly sum of EUR 75 000 and EUR 12 500 respectively, in the period from 2001 to 2004.
The major part of the budget is spent on man-hours worked by research workers at TOI.
There is no available information about the future funding at the moment.