Partnership

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 digital and automation) and deliver on European Green Deal objectives. It will develop solutions with broad support across the EU – up to 75% market uptake by 2030, improving the competitiveness of rail and support European technological leadership in rail.

Draft partnership proposal (July 2020)

Contact

Commission services: Wawrzyniec Perschke,  Ana-Maria Fimin

Partners: Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies - Enno Wiebe, UNIFE the European Rail Industry - Nicolas Furio, European Rail Infrastructure Manager Association - Bardo Schettini Gherardini

 

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.

Testimonial

image of Autoship - a new and durable way of freight transport

Autoship - a new and durable way of freight transport

Autoship is, as the name suggests, an acronym for autonomous ship. Just like with self-driving cars, the possibilities of an unmanned boat seem endless. It can create more efficient freight transport, around the clock deliveries and these are just a few of the examples. The project has two societal challenges.

At first, De Vlaamse Waterweg was a bit hesitant as their experience with FP7 or Horizon 2020 projects was limited and they had not been very successful up until then. The fact that they were already doing basic research on the topic of autonomous boats, and the administrative help of NCP FLanders helped De Vlaamse waterweg to cross the line and get involved.