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Cooperative, connected and automated transport

Connected and automated transport (CAT) technologies can contribute to increasing the efficiency and safety of the transport system. The introduction of these new technologies and services can improve traffic flows, optimise the use of infrastructure, lower noise levels, shift greater volumes of passenger traffic towards public transport, increase the efficiency of goods transport and foster the emergence of multi-modal transport solutions.

Although a number of pilot demonstrations of CAT technologies are taking place in Europe, there is still a need to test the technological readiness, reliability and safety of automated transport functions in complex traffic situations at large scale.

Key issues to be addressed include the performance of automated transport technologies, a regulatory framework which supports the fast introduction of these technologies, acceptable levels of cybersecurity, as well as new business models.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Cooperative, Connected and Automated Transport aims to develop a customer-centric, intermodal integrated transport system to ensure greater efficiency, safety and wellbeing and lower environmental impacts.

Transport electrification

Transport electrification can contribute to breaking transport dependency on oil and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. The decarbonised electricity generation will provide cleaner electricity to propel electric vehicles (EVs). EVs will be able to provide storage services to the grid favouring further expansion of renewables.

The development of energy storage technologies and devices remains the cornerstone of a fully electrified transport system integrated in a clean energy network. Decreasing batteries costs while increasing their energy density and lifetime will speed up electrification of road transport. The deployment of a network of recharging points covering the whole EU road network is another key enabling condition for transport electrification.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Transport Electrification aims to bring forward, the developments carried out in the framework of the European Green Vehicle Initiative and encourage multi-sectorial and multi-disciplinary research and innovation activities on new materials, advanced propulsion systems and information computer technology.

Vehicle design and manufacturing

Transport vehicle design, development and manufacturing (VDM) is a collaborative, integrated and complex set of processes and tools that consider the whole vehicle life cycle and is a key element for the competitiveness of the EU transport industry.

Continuous research and innovation as well as organizational issues are therefore necessary to achieve marketable transport vehicles with shorter development times and time-to-market. The global trend is towards seamless integration of digital and physical vehicle design and manufacturing processes, tools and infrastructures.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Vehicle Design and Manufacturing aims to develop successful marketable transport vehicles with shorter development times.

Low-emission alternative energy for transport

Alternative transport fuels such as methane, liquid petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, liquid nitrogen gas, synthetic paraffinic fuels, alcohols and ethers and esters pose a number of technical challenges in terms of their provision and use.

Despite rapid progress in electrification, aviation, waterborne and heavy duty vehicles will continue to rely on liquid fuels for the foreseeable future. In terms of volume, biofuels represent the main alternative to fossil fuels in internal combustion engines.

Research and innovation actions are needed to examine how alternative fuels are produced, distributed and used in the design and development of new powertrains.

The development and deployment of alternative fuels is key to the decarbonisation of the European transport sector and attaining a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Low-emission Alternative Energy for Transport focuses on renewable fuels production, alternative fuel infrastructures as well as the impact on transport systems and services of these technologies for road, rail, waterborne transport and aviation.

Network and traffic management systems

Network and Traffic Management (NTM) use systems and techniques to manage traffic behaviour on transport networks. Bottlenecks across air, rail, road and water can result in system-wide capacity constraints, traffic jams and increased pollutant emissions and environmental impacts.

The transition towards an advanced multi-modal transport system requires better coordinated and organised traffic flows to optimise the entire transport network. This involves devices to detect real traffic conditions, traffic information sharing, optimisation processes and the distribution of control actions via end-user devices.

Digital technologies and the emergence of the connected traveller can influence real-time demand by encouraging off-peak travel and use of alternative routes through intelligent applications and user information services. These integrated urban traffic management and mobility information systems contribute to optimising transport flows through cities and in rural regions.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Network and Traffic Management Systems aims to develop an advanced multi-modal transport system by effectively optimising the entire transport network across new areas.

Smart mobility and services

Smart mobility systems and services have the potential to contribute to the decarbonisation of the European transport sector. Changes in transport behaviour and lifestyles such as the use of smart phones, mobile web applications and social media together with the trend to use rather than own a particular transport modehas opened up new pathways to sustainable mobility.

A critical link exists between new technologies, services and transport decarbonisation. However, policy and innovation efforts have focused on small changes to improve car technology rather than on integrated transport and mobility strategies. Breaking this path-dependency remains a key innovation challenge.

Future transport and mobility services will need to be part of smart and sustainable city strategies to improve urban resource efficiency, decarbonisation and ensure an integrated transport system.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Smart Mobility and Services aims to assess emerging new technologies such as multi-modal, electric and autonomous vehicles, drone technology and on-demand mobility services. It will establish and assess the impacts of such technologies on transport and mobility systems and services.

Infrastructure

Transport infrastructure includes physical networks, terminals and intermodal nodes, information systems and refuelling and electrical supply networks which are necessary for the safe, secure operation of road, rail, civil aviation, inland waterways and shipping.

EU transport infrastructure key challenges with regard to governance; pricing, taxation and finance; coordinated modality, intermodality, interoperability and integration of transport systems; life cycle optimisation; and infrastructure operation.

The Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) Roadmap for Transport Infrastructure aims to develop research and innovation in these key areas, test new methodologies and prepare the ground for future transport infrastructure policies.

Air transport

Research covers passenger and freight transport by heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air vehicles. Principal means of air transport are fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, tilt-rotors and airships. The focus is on commercial aviation by domestic and international airlines relying on dedicated airport infrastructure and air traffic management systems for regional, European and global transport. Air transport includes ground services related to these operations.

Rail transport

Research on rail transport refers to all land-bound passenger and freight transport on dual and single fixed rail, including heavy rail, light rail, tram, metro, funicular and monorail. Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) systems on conventional rails and MAGLEV systems are not strictly ‘rail’ track and are included under innovative technologies.

Road transport

Road transport research covers vehicles operating on motorways, asphalt and gravel roads, and associated infrastructure including bridges, cuttings, tunnels, parking areas and footways. Ground transport in ports and airports directly associated with air, maritime and inland waterway transport is not included. Non-motorised modes, such as walking and cycling, are included because these forms of transport largely share the same infrastructure.

Water transport (sea & inland)

Water transport research covers maritime transport, short-sea shipping (SSS), inland navigation, estuarial shipping, and land operations that include cargo handling/ transfer between waterborne and other transport modes.

Multimodal transport

Research on multimodal transport covers both freight and passenger transport. With respect to freight transport, the theme incorporates the movement of freight in one loading unit or road vehicle, which uses successively two or more transport modes without goods handling during modal changes. Multimodal passenger transport covers the use of different modes in a door-to-door journey chain, with the focus on modal integration in a seamless journey.

Societal/Economic issues

Research ranges from the role of transport users and their influence on achieving long-term objectives of transport policy to the protection of user rights and interests. It includes improving information provision to transport users and increasing user awareness of the implications of their transport choices and also reviews the needs of groups such as those on low incomes, the elderly, the disabled, and those living in deprived areas. Social inclusion primarily concerns accessibility for those without a car and people with impaired mobility. Research aims at increasing access to employment, leisure and other activities for people from different locations, and with differing access to transport. The theme embraces user perspectives on the quality of transport services, such as reliability, flexibility, comfort, affordability and convenience. This theme also covers research on macro-economic and regional economic impacts of transport policies and transport technologies. Economic and regional impacts occur mainly through the mechanisms of cost savings and improved accessibility, as a result of various EU policy measures, such as TEN-T or cohesion policy. Research focuses on methodologies and tools to estimate the impacts of policies and technologies on economic or regional patterns.

Environmental/Emissions aspects

Research on environmental impacts addresses the adverse effects of transport, such as air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, vibration and waste disposal. The severity of these impacts is assessed, mitigation measures analysed and more environmentally friendly technologies developed.

Safety/Security

Research concerns exposure of people, goods and property to potential hazards in the transport system and may vary according to transport mode. Research is accessing acceptable levels of risk according to the choices made by individuals, whether operating staff, drivers or passengers. Security research aims at protecting people, goods and transport systems from real and perceived threat of crime, terrorism, negligence, technical failures or natural disasters.

Digitalisation

Connectivity and social media are transforming traditional concepts of mobility. New business models are emerging and giving rise to innovative mobility services including new on-line platforms for freight operations, car-pooling, car or bicycle sharing services, or smartphone applications offering real-time analytics and data on traffic conditions. Vehicles themselves are also being transformed by digital technologies. They are becoming increasingly smart as new on-board connected and cooperative services and increased levels of automation become available.

Decarbonisation

Research is carried out in support of policies dedicated to mitigating climate change and decarbonising the transport sector, which is a central goal of EU transport policy. Policies focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions using instruments such as emission trading systems and setting regulations. Research on energy efficiency is directed, for instance, to potential policy measures, and technological, economic and behaviour changes in order to reduce energy consumption per output indicator (such as, passenger or tonne-kilometre).

Deployment planning/Financing/Market roll-out

Research focuses on integrated planning of transport systems and land use to identify ways to reduce traffic congestion, energy use and vehicle emissions including, financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure in all transport modes. The theme includes modal transfers, and information and communication networks to support traffic management. The theme also includes the development of TEN-T networks and terminals in all transport modes, which is a key aspect of the EU transport strategy. Furthermore, it covers increasing the density of settlement structures and developing land-use patterns in order to encourage provision and use of public transport, as well as to facilitate the use of soft modes.

Other specified

Transport policies falling outside the aforementioned categories.

Passenger transport

Research covers all forms of public and private transport by air, land and water, both scheduled and unscheduled. It includes non-motorised and pedestrian transport. Passenger transport may be urban, rural, coastal, local, long distance or cross border, and involves one or more modes. The breadth of this theme indicates that research is primarily of relevance to the planning, organisation and operation of passenger transport.

Freight transport

Research has a broad focus extending from the transport of raw materials, semi-processed products, and finished products from supplier to consumer, to new and used consumer products transported back to suppliers. It also concerns the transport of agricultural products and livestock. Freight transport is becoming increasingly intermodal and multimodal using local, regional, national and international systems. Indirectly, freight transport concerns the organisation and management of the supply chain and logistic services that determine the quantity and quality of freight transport, and commercial relationships between shippers and transport service providers.

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