One of the priorities of “Horizon 2020” Programme, a strategy focusing on 3 main components, is railway transport. The strategy includes the scientific component which gives priority to excellency. The industrial component encourages competitiveness and the social component tries to develop projects answering societal challenges.
For the next 7 years (2014-2020), the programme needs EUR 80 Billion, of which, research and innovation projects intelligent and environmentally friendly projects demand financing of EUR 7.2 Billion. The challenge consists in achieving this target for delivering an intelligent transport, using efficient resources, protecting the environment, the safety of passengers and last but not least, improving the economic and social environment. In order to meet the set targets, partnerships should be created at European level between the industry, the academia and research organisations. The industry and the products launched will have significant benefits within the Horizon 2020 Programme. Of all modes of transport, railway transport is the priority as it represents the future of transportation and will thus enjoy the support of government policies and of the EU legislation. Railway transport needs to be stimulated in order to create a single transport area in Europe.
To find out more about EU’s directions for delivering improved mobility that will help reduce congestion and increase security and safety and to create new concepts in the transport of freight and logistics by stimulating research and innovation, we present an interview with Mr. Liam Breslin, Head of Transport Surface Transport Research & Innovation DG – European Commission, taken during Club Feroviar Conferences 2012 – Railway Passenger Transport in the Sustainable Mobility Agenda.
Railway Pro: Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness.
How will Horizon 2020 contribute to a more competitive Europe?
Liam Breslin: Horizon 2020 has three main components: excellency, in what concerns the scientific sector, competitiveness, for industrial segment, and societal challenge. Running from 2014 to 2020, Horizon 2020 requests EUR 80 Billion budget. In what concerns the competitiveness, the program objectives and structures is based on lea-dership in enabling and industrial technologies, access to risk finance and innovation in SMEs. Talking about societal challenges, the structure of this Program is based on health, demographic change and well-being, secure, clean and efficient energy, smart, green and integrated transport, climate action & resource efficiency including raw materials and inclusive, innovative and secure societies. So, we involve industry in all these areas for research and development programs and industry will benefit from Horizon 2020.
Railway Pro: How will transport benefit from the Horizon 2020 financing?
Liam Breslin: For the next 7 years, Europe will bet on a smart, green and integrated transport and for this, the funding necessary, from research to innovation, is 7.2 Billion Euros. Regarding the implementation, we will continue stakeholder engagement by maintaining and possibly extending Joint Technology Initiatives and PPPs. The challenge is to achieve a greener and intelligent transport system that refers to resource efficient, environmentally friendly, safe and seamless for the benefit of citizens, economy and society. For this, we need to think in a holistic approach that recognises modal specificities, that is focused on the societal challenges, and takes into account the imperatives of competitiveness. All of these will request the creation of partnerships at European level, with industries, universities and research organizations that now are working together to implement the objectives. Industry will benefit from Horizon 2020, techno-logy and products too.
Railway Pro: How can Europe have innovative mobility patterns, in order to promote more sustainable behaviour and a smart mobility?
Liam Breslin: As a priority Horizon 2020 is focusing for the transport sector in a smarter, greener and an integrated transport. Basically, we need a substantial reduction of traffic congestion by supporting the multimodal transport, information, payment system and accessibility. Of course that we need to improve the mobility for people and freight, by optimisation of the railway network ma-
nagement, interoperability, efficient use of the infrastructure, new positioning, navigation and scheduling applications. This is about a smarter technology that will be used in the transport field. We would be looking also at greener technologies, and in the centre is what we call a better mobility, less congestion, more safety and security.
Railway Pro: In what concerns the innovative technology, how can EU achieve the target regarding a modern, efficient and user-friendly transport system at European level?
Liam Breslin: If you look across what we’ll do in transport, we cover air transport, railway transport, road, waterborne, urban transport, all of these are different kind of mobility, we are pushing everything into the area of innovation. In past we focused on research, but now we will look forward for innovation area and in transport area we want to see completely new innovative transport systems not just as an individual mode, but also inter-linkages between the modes such as rail, road and waterborne. For the resource efficient transport that respects the environment railway research and innovation is very important: here we talk about technologies regarding energy storage and supply, cleaner and quieter vehicles, also smart equipment, infrastructures and services is another vital segment that we need to develop. In this way we can improve the transport mobility not only across Europe, but in urban areas too.
Railway Pro: Railways are the transport of the future. What does this mean for the innovation and research area in order to have a real rail transport for the future?
Liam Breslin: Indeed, Railways are transport of the future. Why? Because it is green -transport accounts for 25% of EU C02 emissions, yet electrified trains can emit zero C02; fast- high speed trains compete with air planes on short haul, and of course, it is efficient- trains operate on time, even within congested cities. Each train can carry the freight of several hundred trucks! This future is supported by government policies, European Transport Policy, Europe 2020 Strategy and private investment. At European level, the policy is supporting the ambitions of the Transport White Paper. For a single European transport area we need to stimulate the railway transport, to reduce bottlenecks, to put in place the user at the heart of transport policy, and to manage the effects of globalisation, by trying to raise the share of rail freight transport.
For the innovation and research area in order to have a competitive railway system, we financed a lot in rail area through the FP7 Programme to have to do with inter-operability, and safety, quality of the rail services, infrastructure and so on. We could try an increase in the level of funding. As I said the industry seems to want to revitalize a transport platform. For example see the Rail Technology Platform, which is ERRAC, is trying to take a step up to be more strategic.
Railway Pro: What are DG Research and Innovation – Transport priorities for 2012 and 2013?
Liam Breslin: We have one call left in FP7 for Transport and at the moment that call will be opening in July and closing in November. This new call is estimated at EUR 115 Million, of what rail part is worth EUR 22 Million. We are organizing an Information Day in Brussels on the 18th and 19th of July where the topics of this last call will be presented. As regards the previous call, 2012, in March, in Brussels we agreed, on a new round of funding for the all surface transport modes and this funding is worth EUR 122 Million for a total of over 40 new transport projects. Ten will be on rail area, for about EUR 24 Million. For example we will have projects dealing with energy efficiency in railways, planning a vision for rail towards 2050, for single wagon load traffic and on rail infrastructure, and about how we perform the maintenance. They all are new projects that will start early this year.
[ by Pamela Luică ]
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