Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FastTrack (Fostering the Acceleration of Sustainable Transport To Regions and Authorities through Capacity and Knowledge)
Período documentado: 2021-02-01 hasta 2022-01-31
Local authorities across Europe are motivated to take bold action to make mobility and transport systems more sustainable. It is, however, not always easy to keep pace with the latest innovations, or to test what innovative solutions work, where, and why, and how to transform innovations into reliable mobility solutions.
FastTrack helps local authorities to address these barriers to accelerate their transformation. This is crucial given the urgency demanded by the ongoing climate crisis and requirements to meet European emission reduction targets by 2030.
FastTrack familiarises practitioners with new innovations, and supports them in developing plans for their rapid implementation. It delves into the marketplace of mobility innovations to help them procure and implement the solutions that are best-suited to their local context, while acknowledging that innovation is not limited to fancy new technologies. The project also explores innovative ways of organising and planning, new business models and more.
FastTrack works with 24 local areas ("Local Affiliates," LAs) to help them accelerate the implementation of mobility innovations. This work includes a detailed needs assessment, connecting cities with each other, solution providers, and external experts, and running a learning programme to build local capacity and overcome barriers.
By the end of the project, each LA will have developed a Deployment Plan for the swift implementation of the best mobility innovations for them. Plus, a public database of tried and tested innovative solutions, a best practices portal, and final recommendations will be shared widely to ensure that everyone benefits from FastTrack.
In other words, by the end of the project, FastTrack aims to: help 24 LAs to develop and launch Innovation Deployment Plans, and make capacity-building resources and innovative solutions easily accessible, in order to help any local area to overcome the barriers that slow down their roll-out of effective mobility and transport solutions.
FastTrack helps local authorities to address these barriers to accelerate their transformation. This is crucial given the urgency demanded by the ongoing climate crisis and requirements to meet European emission reduction targets by 2030.
FastTrack familiarises practitioners with new innovations, and supports them in developing plans for their rapid implementation. It delves into the marketplace of mobility innovations to help them procure and implement the solutions that are best-suited to their local context, while acknowledging that innovation is not limited to fancy new technologies. The project also explores innovative ways of organising and planning, new business models and more.
FastTrack works with 24 local areas ("Local Affiliates," LAs) to help them accelerate the implementation of mobility innovations. This work includes a detailed needs assessment, connecting cities with each other, solution providers, and external experts, and running a learning programme to build local capacity and overcome barriers.
By the end of the project, each LA will have developed a Deployment Plan for the swift implementation of the best mobility innovations for them. Plus, a public database of tried and tested innovative solutions, a best practices portal, and final recommendations will be shared widely to ensure that everyone benefits from FastTrack.
In other words, by the end of the project, FastTrack aims to: help 24 LAs to develop and launch Innovation Deployment Plans, and make capacity-building resources and innovative solutions easily accessible, in order to help any local area to overcome the barriers that slow down their roll-out of effective mobility and transport solutions.
WP1 carried out a needs assessment, involving a survey and interviews with LAs. The findings were summarised in 24 site-specific reports and one overarching report, captured in site-specific diagrams called “Innovation Profiles,” and used to define the Topic-Based Clusters. These activities ensure that FastTrack support is tailored to LAs' needs, and that partners and LAs have had input into the programme of work, including the content and structure of the clusters. Information was also collected to develop 15 case study descriptions, allowing FastTrack to communicate the State-of-the-Art in the rapid delivery of mobility innovation to LAs and externally. The needs assessment and the State-of-the-Art Review lay the basis for rapid, responsive, and targeted learning in the framework of the capacity building process and the results contribute to the achievement of the project's overall objectives by providing basic information.
WP2 established the Exchange Hub, which set the online basis for rapid responsive and targeted learning. The online platform allows for the exchange of materials and discussion boards; the content that was made available by Ambassador Cities under Learning Sequence 1 offered self-learning opportunities to the LAs. The first Capacity Building Week (CBW1) guided interaction with suppliers and, through peer-learning workshops, inspired LAs when it came to innovation trends and mobility solutions currently deployed. It, thus, set the first learning milestone on the LAs’ way to accelerating their own deployment of sustainable mobility innovations.
In December 2021, FastTrack joined forces with seven Horizon 2020 projects to launch a Task Force on "Accelerating Innovation Uptake for Sustainable Transport." Within this Task Force, FastTrack will be guiding cooperation on Work Stream 4, “Capacity building and guideline development," further allowing for the aligning of activities and finding of synergies to fuel learning exchanges with the knowledge and expertise elaborated in those projects.
WP3 successfully carried out the first “Meet the FastTracker” matchmaking event, populated the Exchange Hub, established the FastTrack Helpdesk, set up the Supplier Register, and developed a Pool of Suppliers and the “FastTrack Bulletins.”
WP4 contributed to a deeper understanding regarding how the capacity building programme could be tailored to better cater to cities’ expectations. The assessment frameworks that were developed supported the understanding of the cities’ profiles, while the Innovation Diaries enabled LAs to identify aspects (e.g. data needs) in view of the desired mobility solution(s) and assisted their preparation for the Deployment Plan, which the Innovation Diaries will directly feed into.
WP5 focused on creating FastTrack’s communications and dissemination products and launching its communication channels. This involved the creation of its visual identity and the production of print and digital communications products. By creating a unique, readable and appealing visual identity, FastTrack is more easily recognisable by a wide audience, which directly feeds into its overall goal to support the rapid deployment of sustainable mobility and transport innovations. The FastTrack project brochure, infographic, website and social media channels are already serving to provide necessary information to LAs to support their work.
WP2 established the Exchange Hub, which set the online basis for rapid responsive and targeted learning. The online platform allows for the exchange of materials and discussion boards; the content that was made available by Ambassador Cities under Learning Sequence 1 offered self-learning opportunities to the LAs. The first Capacity Building Week (CBW1) guided interaction with suppliers and, through peer-learning workshops, inspired LAs when it came to innovation trends and mobility solutions currently deployed. It, thus, set the first learning milestone on the LAs’ way to accelerating their own deployment of sustainable mobility innovations.
In December 2021, FastTrack joined forces with seven Horizon 2020 projects to launch a Task Force on "Accelerating Innovation Uptake for Sustainable Transport." Within this Task Force, FastTrack will be guiding cooperation on Work Stream 4, “Capacity building and guideline development," further allowing for the aligning of activities and finding of synergies to fuel learning exchanges with the knowledge and expertise elaborated in those projects.
WP3 successfully carried out the first “Meet the FastTracker” matchmaking event, populated the Exchange Hub, established the FastTrack Helpdesk, set up the Supplier Register, and developed a Pool of Suppliers and the “FastTrack Bulletins.”
WP4 contributed to a deeper understanding regarding how the capacity building programme could be tailored to better cater to cities’ expectations. The assessment frameworks that were developed supported the understanding of the cities’ profiles, while the Innovation Diaries enabled LAs to identify aspects (e.g. data needs) in view of the desired mobility solution(s) and assisted their preparation for the Deployment Plan, which the Innovation Diaries will directly feed into.
WP5 focused on creating FastTrack’s communications and dissemination products and launching its communication channels. This involved the creation of its visual identity and the production of print and digital communications products. By creating a unique, readable and appealing visual identity, FastTrack is more easily recognisable by a wide audience, which directly feeds into its overall goal to support the rapid deployment of sustainable mobility and transport innovations. The FastTrack project brochure, infographic, website and social media channels are already serving to provide necessary information to LAs to support their work.
FastTrack, through established innovation performance methods, understands cities’ performance and needs. In this respect, it can efficiently support cities in their efforts to achieve high-level goals of sustainability and resilience towards the fast-changing systems, thus contributing to three expected impacts: capacity building and consulting advice; partnership building with the private sector; and speeding up the implementation of innovative mobility solutions.
By the end of Learning Sequence 1, LAs received an overview of the challenges and innovation trends related to the respective cluster themes and identified the local challenges they wanted to respond to. The measure to be deployed became more concrete for most, as did also the themes and horizontal skill streams. For project partners, the outcomes of the needs assessment, intermediate activities, and CBW1 were key for the selection of the topics and elaboration of subsequent learning sequences. Data collection methods and data management are, for example, two aspects that will be at the core of Learning Sequence 2 activities as a result. The iterative process of asking cities to further define their needs proves to be successful and allows for the development of activities that are beneficial for the cities.
Achievements so far include the establishment of the FastTrack Exchange Hub and FastTrack Helpdesk to facilitate support to the cities, set up of a Supplier Register via a Call for Suppliers, and development of the Pool of Suppliers. Furthermore, a financing and administration structure was set up to efficiently manage the FastTrack Fund, and a “Meet the FastTracker” matchmaking event organised during CBW1.
Other significant achievements include: The development of a City Innovation Profile Framework and framework for assessing FastTrack performance, based on 49 KPIs / The application of the two frameworks during CBW1 / The analysis of the first inputs received from 24 cities, participants, and technical partners during CBW1.
By the end of Learning Sequence 1, LAs received an overview of the challenges and innovation trends related to the respective cluster themes and identified the local challenges they wanted to respond to. The measure to be deployed became more concrete for most, as did also the themes and horizontal skill streams. For project partners, the outcomes of the needs assessment, intermediate activities, and CBW1 were key for the selection of the topics and elaboration of subsequent learning sequences. Data collection methods and data management are, for example, two aspects that will be at the core of Learning Sequence 2 activities as a result. The iterative process of asking cities to further define their needs proves to be successful and allows for the development of activities that are beneficial for the cities.
Achievements so far include the establishment of the FastTrack Exchange Hub and FastTrack Helpdesk to facilitate support to the cities, set up of a Supplier Register via a Call for Suppliers, and development of the Pool of Suppliers. Furthermore, a financing and administration structure was set up to efficiently manage the FastTrack Fund, and a “Meet the FastTracker” matchmaking event organised during CBW1.
Other significant achievements include: The development of a City Innovation Profile Framework and framework for assessing FastTrack performance, based on 49 KPIs / The application of the two frameworks during CBW1 / The analysis of the first inputs received from 24 cities, participants, and technical partners during CBW1.