Overview
Despite of i) high investments in the traffic sector; ii) the increasing complexity of transport problems; iii) a wide and interdisciplinary research landscape in the field of transport and iv) a larger number of traffic planners and engineers, innovations within the transport sector have been only rarely realised in Switzerland. Transportation concepts, such as roundabout circulation, which have been developed abroad, are applied in Switzerland after some delays, if they are implanted at all. Good examples of such a delay is the approach to travel modelling (e.g., activity-oriented approaches) and new forms of the use of the public space (concept of shared space). it is expected that with regard to closer innovation cycles in the traffic sector, considerable economic costs could be reduced by applying new innovative concepts to forecast, model or understand travel dynamics.
Thus the question arises which factors could be improved by a transfer of both technology and knowledge into the traffic sector from the field of science, which restraining factors should be eliminated and which measures are useful to accelerate the innovation process. In general, it depends on the transfer of knowledge and technology whether new technologies and knowledge succeed in the practical application. Hence, to analyse such processes the research effort refers on the policy dynamics of different groups. In detail, the interrelations in terms of communication and interaction of planning administrations, science, engineers' offices/ planning offices, and municipal organisations such as federations, media organisations, further education sectors as well as interest organisations within the traffic sector will be examined.
The explicit aims of the project are as follows: To examine the delayed knowledge transfer in Switzerland as well as finding examples of good practices in order to accelerate recent concepts and findings; to analyse the reasons for the retarding of knowledge from science into practical application by means of case studies; to prepare a set of recommendations regarding the promotion and acceleration of knowledge and the transfer of technology into the traffic sector.
1 Conceptual Basis: Interaction Model for Innovation
2 Literature review
3 Expert interviews
4 Analysis of planning documents
Additional analysis reports and evaluation of completed plans are used together with the results of discussions with experts in order to present examples of good practice of successful implementation of innovations.
5 Final Workshop
Funding
Results
- Assessing the transferability of modern approaches towards innovative research in the field of transport
- Compile supported and defended factors for knowledge and technology transfer
- Collection of good examples from various areas of innovation in transport and the experience gained in these examples
- The list of measures to improve knowledge and technology transfer
- The research results can contribute to the awareness of actors in the transport sector, as regards the origin, procurement and implementation of new methods and solutions.
- Involvement of a larger number of actors in the innovation process. This existing knowledge is better used and the creation of new knowledge is encouraged.
- Measures developed proposals to speed up and thus provide effective planning approaches to knowledge transfer and widespread methods.
Readiness
The examined case studies relate to current problems of traffic planning.