Follow-Up Activities

ETRA 3rd ASSEMBLY (11 December 2014)

Follow-up activities

1. ETRA will open up towards important organisations/stakeholders like: the EC, ERTICO, EUCAR, CLEPA, EARPA.

1. Make contacts with international (global) transport research Associations / bodies (in cooperation with Organisations such as the TRB).

1. ETRA will attempt to attract new partners i.e. other Associations with emphasis on the Universities Associations as well as air and maritime sectors. Possible candidates include: TRANSPORTNET, EARPA and WEGEMT.

1. EURNEX: Must finalise the issue of the 1000 EUR contribution to ETRA expenses through endorsement by the EURNEX General Assembly.

1. New ToRs(with the revised article 6.3) to be distributed to the partners

1. TRA-MC: The Chair will follow closely developments within the TRA Management Committee with a view to its future discussion for representation of the Transport Research sector in this body

1. Creation of a Knowledge Sharing and Information Exchange Task Force to act on the basis of the terms of reference mentioned in detail in the 4-year activity plan, i.e.:

1. Perform an analysis of the current state of “knowledge sharing and information exchange”activities and mechanisms followed by the ETRA partners and their members[1]. This includes:
2. Internal communication, i.e.:

● means of recognition and motivation;

● means to improve the feeling of membership;

● ways to allow communication and exchanges through well defined processes, information on activities, and projects.

1. External communication, i.e.:

● informing the external world on activities developed by the transport research organisations;

● promoting the Alliance’s Partners achievements to key opinion formers at European and national level;

● increasing and promoting the perception of the transport research organisations by the public;

● developing “opportunities” for transport research organisations;

● Foster more visibility of the transport research community.

1. Recommend the creation of the proper infrastructure for knowledge sharing in the transport sector among the members of ETRA’s partners, at first, and later among the rest of the research community in Europe and globally. Also prescribe the desired characteristics for such knowledge sharing infrastructure (which could for example take the form of a web portal or other similar type of instrument[2]).
2. Promote simple and straightforward information exchange mechanisms among the Alliance partners and their memberson issues such as:research topics and proposals, technical specialization, policy issues and positions related to various issues and fields of transport, etc. The aim will be to avoid duplication of research and increase the possibilities of cooperation and joint project development among the ETRA partners and their members. This kind of activity will also be aimed at overcoming fragmentation and promoting integration in the transport research sector and is connected to the wider task of “Institution building” in the transport research field.
3. Assist ETRA in developing position papers in relevant areas.

1. Preparation of an ETRA position paper on strategic transport research issues (i.e. a paper on long term issues that will also reflect on the recent TAG paper on future transport research needs, and presenting the Alliance’s views).

1. ETRA will support ECTRI’s position paper on H2020 administrative and management issues. The paper should be distributed to the Alliance partners for potential cooperation in finalizing the text and supporting it towards the Commission.

1. The Alliance will sponsor one Session or workshop in the large International event on Climate Change,which the IFSTTAR is involved in organizing in Paris, on 7 – 10 July 2015.

16-2-2015

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[1] Relevant to this activity, the TF should study and if found appropriate adopt the recommendations of the Stakeholders Forum workshop which was organised by the DETRA project.

[2]An example of the type of instrument that could be useful in this case,isthe Strategic Energy Technologies Information System - SETIS ( which is a system for sharing knowledge in the strategic energy technology information.