Road Transport Research in Europe: What is happening at national level in the EU?

STREnGth_M has released a new report visualising the sustainable Road Transport Research landscape across the EU Member States! It highlights national research strategies, EU engagement, and the importance of collaboration in driving innovation.

One of STREnGth_M’s key goals is to connect European, national, and international RTR roadmaps and strategies – and its new report does just that! This new report explores existing research and innovation strategies, structures, and programmes at the national level related to road transport and mobility across 27 EU Member States. It also assesses the extent to which these national programmes align with, reflect, or complement EU-level policies, roadmaps, and research initiatives.

The report also looks at the level of involvement of Member States in EU programmes and initiatives related to RTR, such as participation in Horizon Europe Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, and Mobility) topics, and projects under the 2Zero and CCAM partnerships.

Each of the 27 EU Member States is examined individually, focusing on key national RTR activities and the primary research providers. At the EU programme level, the report finds that the degree of national engagement (in terms of partner budgets and pilot sites) does not always correlate with the size or economic strength of a country.

While alignment between EU and national RTR programmes is identified as an important factor in a country’s participation in EU funding schemes, it should be noted that many successful project initiatives are emerging from stakeholder networks, independent of these alignment efforts. The varying degrees of alignment between national and EU research programmes highlight the importance of strategic collaboration to maximise funding efficiency and foster innovation. While national priorities and industrial landscapes shape each country’s research focus, transnational cooperation through European Partnerships, stakeholder networks, and initiatives plays a vital role in achieving common objectives.

This report is not intended as a benchmarking exercise, nor is it exhaustive. It offers a snapshot of the current state of play in the EU-27 as of 2024.

STREnGth_M is also developing a series of user-friendly factsheets for selected countries based on this work. These will be made available on the ERTRAC website and can be updated and improved over time as needed.

The project invites experts from national levels, whether from EU Member States or other countries associated with EU research programmes, to join the STREnGth_M Multiplier Group. Membership in this stakeholder group allows participants to provide feedback on this work and other STREnGth_M outputs, as well as stay informed about the project's progress, outputs, and events. It also provides a forum for exchanging information between the national and EU levels regarding Road Transport Research. To register your interest, please complete the short questionnaire here.

Read the new report here!