Partnerships

Europe's Rail

Europe's Rail

Partnership website: https://rail-research.europa.eu/

The partnership aims to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative technologies, especially in the fields of digitalisation and automation. The vision of EU-Rail is to deliver, via an integrated system approach, a high capacity, flexible, multi-modal and reliable integrated European railway network by eliminating barriers to interoperability and providing solutions for European citizens and cargo. It consists of three research and innovation pillars:

  • Innovation pillar: the main areas of research are European rail traffic management and supporting rail’s key role in a multimodal transport system, digital and automated train operations, sustainable and digital assets, competitive cigital green rail freight, smart Solutions for low density traffic lines (cost-efficient regional railways), data and digital enablers
  • System pillar: Whilst most individual railway systems have views of the future railway architecture, there is no common EU railway system view that is used today. The purpose of the system pillar is to improve the European railway system to offer better services for European passengers and freight and to make rail traffic more efficient and less costly. It shall ensure that the evolution of the rail system is based on common operational visions and a layered functional architecture, facilitating the uptake of harmonised, innovative solutions by the sector. The strategic target is the Single European Railway Area (SERA).
  • Deployment group: In the past, deploying innovative solutions in Railways sector often led to patchwork systems and the purpose of this pillar is to make sure this is a thing of the past and is replaced an integrated approach to fully maximize the impact of the innovations.

Contact

The Belgian representative in steering group of Europe's Rail Karen Roofthoofd (FOD Mobiliteit) +32 2 277 45 50 

 

What are partnerships?

Partnerships group the EC and private and/or public partners, to coordinate and streamline the research & innovation initiatives and funding in some selected key domains.

How to use partnerships?

  • orientation
    Partnerships publish strategic documents, e.g. outlining the main research and innovation challenges or key focus points.
  • networking
    Partnerships often organise events, such as info days, brokerage events, etc. Meet potential partners and learn about the nuances that are not visible in the official documents.
  • ecosystem analysis
    Partnerships typically have an advisory board, and publish impact studies of previous actions. These are good sources of information to uncover the main R&D&I players in the domain.
  • steering the agenda
    Partnerships collaborate with the EC on outlining the strategy and the future funding opportunities in their domain, based on input from industry, academia, and other stakeholders.
Author Do you have an additional question? Or spotted a mistake? Don't hesitate to contact me!
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Pascal Verheye

pascal.verheye@vlaio.be

Testimonial

image of PBNv2 - a MSCA ITN in the field of automotive R&D

PBNv2 - a MSCA ITN in the field of automotive R&D

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) European Innovative Training Network “PBNv2 - Next generation Pass-By Noise approaches for new powertrain vehicles” started in May 2017. Their research has the shared objective of investigating the possibilities to decrease pass-by noise of vehicles.

The project is a collaboration between 17 research institutions and companies in the European automotive R&D and provides a learning environment for 14 PhD fellows. The Belgian partner is the Noise and Vibration Research Group of KU Leuven, and this project is one of the many Horizon 2020 MSCA Innovative Training Networks that the KU Leuven research group participates in.