Supporting road transport research
The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) was a European Technology Platform (ETP) established to mobilise all stakeholders in the road transport sector. Objectives centred around developing a shared vision and Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), and ensuring optimal application of research resources in order to meet road transport challenges. The 'Technology platform for European road transport research' (Ertrac II) project supported ERTRAC work through provision of organisational and management administration as well as technical support, in order to realise the latter's objectives. The Ertrac II Coordination Action (CA) set out to enable stakeholder consensus on future research in the area of road transport, and worked to define and promote European activities such as Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs). Project partners published the ERTRAC research framework and assessed European Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) road transport research projects as related to ERTRAC objectives. They also offered an overview of research activities and programmes related to national road transport in 17 European countries. Other successes involved conferences focused on the transport research arena and climate change and future scenarios. Ertrac II achieved all of its objectives and undertook various actions aimed at disseminating and exploiting project results.