Commission research Task Forces complete first part of their mission
The research and technological development Task Forces, created by the Commission in June 1995, have now completed the first part of their mission, which was to identify the technological difficulties currently arising, and to identify where additional research is needed. Eight Task Forces were created to stimulate development in the following sectors: - Car of tomorrow; - Educational software and multimedia; - New-generation aircraft; - Vaccines and viral diseases; - Trains and railway systems of the future; - Intermodal transport; - Maritime systems of the future; - Environment-friendly water technologies. The Task Forces were created with a view to concentrating research efforts on topics which are essential for the competitiveness of European industry, employment and quality of life. The actions which are intended to be undertaken are too big to be undertaken by a single company, or a single Member State, and can therefore only be achieved through action at a European level. The Task Forces will act to coordinate research efforts through the different Community RTD programmes, and other European and national research programmes, in order to achieve maximum results. Working closely with industry, and national authorities, the Task Forces have now identified the priority areas for research. These areas are often those in which European research is well below the levels of competitors, in particular the USA and Japan. The priority areas, by Task Force, are as follows: - Car of Tomorrow: . Batteries - reduced cost and recharging time; . Electric power fuel cells; . Hybrid vehicles - using electric motors and internal combustion engines alternately; . Reduction of pollution in exhaust gases; - New-generation aircraft: . Distributed concurrent engineering - networking of European companies; . The more efficient aircraft; . The ecological plane - reducing environmental impact; - Educational software and multimedia: . Development of services for training and education, and for individual learning; . Development of new tools and methodologies to evaluate the needs of sections of the population; . Development of advanced software with user-friendly interfaces; . Design and production systems for both teachers and software professionals; - Intermodal transport: . Low cost intermodal freight transfer terminals; . Intermodal freight network - optimal handling and transport of different volumes of goods; . Integrate cars and road freight with more environmentally-friendly transport in urban areas; . The intermodal traveller - improve information to passengers, particularly in urban and inter-urban transport; . Make intermodal transfer facilities attractive and close to passengers' needs; - Environment-friendly water technologies: . Rational management of resources, with a long term view; - Vaccines and viral diseases: . Cellular and molecular mechanisms of the immune response system; . Development of vaccine production systems; . Development of vaccines against diseases with major socio-economic impact; . Improved European infrastructure for the marketing of new vaccines; . Immunisation policies, and the vaccination of the elderly and very young children; - Trains and railway systems of the future: . Modular high speed train - improved collaboration in production; . Urban railway network for the citizen of the future; . European traffic management system; . The virtual factory - to generate and validate new manufacturing concepts; . The freight train - optimized freight systems, part of the intermodal network; - Maritime systems of the future: . MARIS: Maritime Information Society; . Competitive engineering (concurrent engineering tools) and production in shipbuilding; . Safe and environmentally friendly maritime transport system; . Efficient marine transport; . Responsible and optimal exploitation of marine resources.