What ERTRAC Is

The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council was established to mobilise all stakeholders, develop a shared vision, and ensure timely, co-ordinated and efficient application of research resources to meet the continuing challenges of road transport and European competitiveness.

Who We Are

ERTRAC members are high level representatives from all road transport sectors including consumers, vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers, road infrastructure operators and developers, service providers, energy suppliers, research organisations, cities and regions as well as public authorities at both European Union and national level.

Our Mission

• Provide a strategic vision for the road transport sector with respect to research and development;

• Define strategies and roadmaps to achieve this vision through the formulation and maintenance of a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and Strategic Research Recommendations (SRR);
• Stimulate increased effective public and private investment in road transport research and development;
• Contribute to improving co-ordination between the European, national, regional and private research and development actions on road transport;
• Enhance the networking and clustering of Europe's research and development capacity;
• Promote European commitment to research and technological development ensuring that Europe remains an attractive region for researchers and competitive industries.

Why Road Transport Is Important

Road transport plays a vital role in the European economy and society. It involves a wide range of industries and services from vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to infrastructure providers, communication, energy and research organisations, public authorities, insurance and vehicle rental companies and many others. Road transport, together with the other modes of transport, provides indispensable mobility for people and transport of goods.

Overall, road transport related industries provide employment to more than 14 million people in Europe and directly contribute 11% to the European gross national product. It has a major impact on our daily lives, as it is one of the primary means of access to employment, services, and social activities. Road transport creates links and these links are a key factor in developing social, regional and economic cohesion of the European Union. Road transport impacts the environment and general quality of life of every European citizen.

Because of the importance of the role of road transport, an accelerated development of sustainable, integrated transport solutions is necessary. ERTRAC's goal is to provide a framework to focus co-ordination efforts of public and private resources on the necessary research activities.