Mr Philippe Busquin, the European Commissioner responsible for research announced today the launch of the European Rail Research Advisory Council (ERRAC). The announcement was made at the opening session of the WCRR, the World Congress on Railway Research in Cologne, Germany, in front of 1000 delegates responsible for rail research from all over the world.
ERRAC is a newly created advisory body representing Member States, major stakeholders in the rail industry and the European Commission. Its mission is to determine the scope and content of the Strategic Rail Research Agenda and it is an important step towards the creation of a co-ordinated rail research strategy for Europe. It will focus on achieving interoperability with a view to the creation of a single European system and reaching the objectives set out in the White Paper on Common Transport Policy.
To this end, ERRAC is to define the research, which will then become concrete projects on a European, national and private sector level. The first draft of the Strategic Research Agenda will be presented during the EU Directorate General Research Conference between the 4th and 6th of June in Valencia next year.
Promoting future research and innovation in the rail industry, the industry ensures its profitability and guarantees the citizens of Europe a sustainable transport system. The partners of ERRAC have made a long-term commitment to making railways an attractive, affordable, safe, clean, competitive and reliable transport mode on a European scale.
The first working group meeting of the ERRAC takes place within the context of the 5th World Congress on Rail Research. This conference is an opportunity for all the stakeholders in the industry to come together and witness the ongoing Research and Development activities on a global scale.
Other speakers at the opening session included: Mr Mehdorn, CEO DB AG and Vice-Chairman of CER, Mr Heinisch, Chairman of the Management Board DB Netz AG, and Mr Thomas, Under-secretary for State Education and Research, Germany.
A round table followed the opening ceremony and the formal announcement of the creation of ERRAC. Here Mr Steffen, UNIFE Chairman (CEO Siemens Transportation), Mr Ngo (Vice President Marketing and Product Planning Bombardier Transportation) and Mr Thinieres (Senior Vice President Business Development Alstom Transport) spoke of the importance of research for the rail supply industry and ensuring the future of the rail sectors 1,250 million employees in Europe. The operators were represented by Mr Corsini, Chairman of UIC and RENFE, Mr Meyer, President of UITP and Director and member of the Executive Board of KVB, Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe AG (the Cologne Mass Transit Company), Mr Matsuda, Chairman of JR West and Mr Schmyanietz Vice president of EADS France.
Additional Information:
ERRAC’s Mission:
The ERRAC will determine the scope and content of the Strategic Rail Research Agenda. It is expected that the content of the Strategic Rail Agenda will be presented in a target-based approach consistent with the goals and ambition of the "Joint Strategy for European Rail Research" (which can be downloaded www.unife.org/docs/jointstrategy.pdf). The Strategic Rail Agenda will be a statement of research priorities, including timing and identification of the necessary steps, with recommendations for implementation in both public (national and EU) and private programmes.
ERRAC’s Members:
Members of ERRAC will be authoritative individuals with decision-making capability in the sector, able to contribute with significant advice and to influence the stakeholders in planning research programmes. Members will be drawn from the stakeholders listed hereunder:
• Member States
• European Commission
• Manufacturing industry
• Research establishments and academia
• Operators
• Infrastructure managers
• Environmental and urban planning organisations and transport users (freight and passenger) groups
For more information, (media quotes and information on the partner organisations are included in the press pack) please contact:
|
