Support for the organisation of EU-US symposia in the field of Transport Research

Project’s results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• Reinforced cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (US) in the field of transport research and innovation.
• EU-US Transport Research Symposia organisation with high visibility, political and strategic relevance of the transport sector and of the EU policy in the field.
• More effective links and exchanges between research and innovation stakeholders and policy makers from the EU and the US.

The EU and the US are both world leaders in transport research. On both sides, there is an increasing willingness to enhance and extend EU-US cooperation in the area of transport research.

An Implementing Arrangement between the European Commission and the US DoT was signed in 2013 for cooperative activities in the field of research, development, technology and innovation applied to all modes of transport. The purpose of this arrangement is to advance the EU and US cooperation and collaboration in R&I for all the four modes of transport, including multi-modal activities. To implement that arrangement, a Steering Group has been established, composed of DG MOVE and RTD officials for the EU side, to identify, elaborate and coordinate collaborative activities.

Within this context, EU-US Transport Research Symposia are to be co-organised on one side by the European Commission and on the US side, by the US DoT and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) on a yearly basis. Hosting of the Symposia’s organisation is done on alternate years by the EC and the US.

The symposia promote common understanding, sharing of experience and best practices, efficiencies, and transatlantic cooperation within the international transportation research community, while accelerating transport-sector innovations in EU Member States/Associated countries and the United States.

Six symposia already took place in the last years addressing themes such as: ‘Urban City Logistics’ (Washington, 2013), ‘Transport Research Implementation’ (Paris, 2014), ‘Automated Road Vehicles’ (Washington, 2015), 'Infrastructure Resilience' (Brussels 2016), 'Decarbonizing transport for a sustainable future: mitigating climate change' (Washington, 2017), ' Socio-economic Impacts of Automated and Connected Vehicles' (Brussels, June 2018).

The aim of this action is to support the European Commission in organising the future annual symposia in 2024 (Washington), in 2025 (Brussels), in 2026 (Washington) and in 2027 (Brussels). Symposia are closed events with 50 experts -25 from the US and 25 from the EU- selected by US DoT and the European Commission respectively. Throughout the 3-day event, these experts are brought together to identify, discuss and elaborate strategic R&I recommendations related to the jointly chosen theme of each symposium by the US DoT and the European Commission.

The action will have to foresee the involvement of and collaboration with all the relevant European actors – researchers, industry, users, innovation leaders, etc. - representing the transport sector, in collaboration with the European Commission services in the relevant Directorate Generals. Consultation of key transport players in Europe including the different European Technology Platforms in transport and relevant Horizon Europe partnerships is foreseen, depending on the theme selected for the future symposia.

The action will have to work together with the two EC services to define the overall planning of each symposium, to support the drafting of a White Paper and conference proceedings reports, to design the structure the sessions of the event, to manage the expert’s contributions (25 EU experts, 3 of them being part of a planning committee with their US counterparts) and cover the travel and subsistence of the EU experts, communication material, etc. For those years when the Symposia is held in Brussels, to also manage the overall organisation of the symposia including selecting the appropriate location for the venue, covering the costs for the venue, the logistics, the travels and subsistence for the EU experts, communication material etc.

The list of the European experts that will be invited to the symposia will be proposed by the project after consultation with the stakeholders and will be finalised by the Commission.

The outcome of these symposia will help define a common vision for future transportation, lay the foundation for activities of mutual interest and benefit in all modes of transport, including enhancing EU international cooperation activities within the TRB International Committee (ICC).