Overview
The European Commission would like to see an interoperable and harmonised European rail system, contributing to co-modality and with a strong internationally competitive European railway industry. This CETRRA project supported this by integrating/coordinating research and by sharing knowledge.
Contributing to the European Research Area in surface transport to strengthen the competitiveness of the European surface transport sector.
This has been achieved by providing research capabilities from the EU and Asia to European Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME). The main benefits for integrating non EU researchers in the project are: international scientific knowledge exchange and the identification of research areas that are of mutual interest.
Research tasks were organised by the EURNEX Association, the European rail research network. In the past years, EURNEX has been successfully transformed from a FP6 project into a sustainable legal entity. Driven by operators and industries, European rail researchers have combined and integrated their expertise into multidisciplinary, customer oriented scientific research. The EURNEX Association now encompasses about 70 research institutes, with a total of 600 researchers in the EU27. Most members cover not only rail research, but also other modes of surface transport.
Funding
Results
The main achievement of CETRRA is matching of the special abilities, capabilities and competencies of the various partners of this project. CETRRA outcome is a data overview on current research projects of the international researchers, their experience in sharing knowledge and their background information in order to create personal contact between researchers and science and industry. CETRRA participants are from countries all over Europe and Asia which gives the possibility to build bridges between the railroad networks of Eurasia.
At the same time CETRRA partners expect a fostering of the international co-operations and an acquisition of new contacts among the participants, the involvement in future research projects and to find partnerships in R&D, for potential business ventures and the developing of new products. In line with partner requirements the results of a questionnaire were used to create a 'short list of cooperation' with EURNEX Scientific Poles of Excellence.
EURNEX, the European rail research network of excellence, a leading partner in CETRRA was set up in a new quality by end 2007. It has been successfully turned from a 4 year EC project in the 6th Framework Programme into a self standing sustainable legal entity. Driven by operators and industries and supported by the European Commission, European rail research specialists have integrated their expertise into multidisciplinary, customer oriented scientific poles of excellence.
Innovation aspects
The CETRRA activities fostered the European surface supply chain by developing an interoperable and harmonised European transport system contributing to co-modality and a strong internationally competitive European transport industry.
Strategy targets
2. Innovating for the future technology and behaviour.
2.1 A European Transport Research and Innovation Policy.
Readiness
The project has been implemented. CETRRA project is a living instrument to make better use of limited resources with added value to the customers as well as to the members for the money spent.