Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TRA2020 (The Transport Research Arena 2020 in Helsinki)
Reporting period: 2019-10-01 to 2020-10-31
The overall objective of the Coordination and Support Action was to prepare for and provide support to the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA) to be organised in 2020 in Helsinki, Finland. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference had to be cancelled.
The role of the CSA TRA2020 project was to support and contribute to the TRA2020 conference, especially in assisting the TRA Committees and the PCO (Professional Conference Organiser). This means assisting to draw up the programme, conference promotion, further development of the TRA conference concept and facilitating the organisation of demonstrations and technical tours.
The goal of the coordination and support action, in addition to contribute to the planning and smooth running of the event, is to solidify the TRA platform reaching out to the future by strengthening the transport sector expertise in creation of the conference programme. This platform will serve the transport sector developments and identify the emerging challenges. The TRA2020 CSA had seven specific objectives:
1. Contribute to the master planning of the TRA2020 Conference.
2. Structure and determine the contents of the event programme.
3. Focus on the scientific quality of the conference outputs.
4. Select and plan the demonstration activities and technical tours including related logistics.
5. Coordinate and carry out liaison activities with all relevant stakeholders.
6. Promote TRA2020.
7. Monitor and measure the conference success and identify development targets and the future of TRA.
The role of the CSA TRA2020 project was to support and contribute to the TRA2020 conference, especially in assisting the TRA Committees and the PCO (Professional Conference Organiser). This means assisting to draw up the programme, conference promotion, further development of the TRA conference concept and facilitating the organisation of demonstrations and technical tours.
The goal of the coordination and support action, in addition to contribute to the planning and smooth running of the event, is to solidify the TRA platform reaching out to the future by strengthening the transport sector expertise in creation of the conference programme. This platform will serve the transport sector developments and identify the emerging challenges. The TRA2020 CSA had seven specific objectives:
1. Contribute to the master planning of the TRA2020 Conference.
2. Structure and determine the contents of the event programme.
3. Focus on the scientific quality of the conference outputs.
4. Select and plan the demonstration activities and technical tours including related logistics.
5. Coordinate and carry out liaison activities with all relevant stakeholders.
6. Promote TRA2020.
7. Monitor and measure the conference success and identify development targets and the future of TRA.
O1: Master planning of the TRA2020 Conference: The planning of the conference continued until mid-March 2020 according to the plans. The registration was opened in October 2019 and at the same time the first sessions and speakers were announced and plenary themes presented. The first batch of sponsors and exhibitors were presented when the registration opened in October 2019.
O2: Structuring and determining the contents of the event programme: The programme structuring took a lot of effort and it was finally published on February 4th. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference had to be cancelled on March 13th. Some of the objectives of TRA2020 were realised by virtual means. Between the end of April and the end of September altogether 25 sessions from TRA2020 programme were held online. The amendment was done for the CSA to enable the project members to participate in webinar planning and guidelines, scheduling and promoting.
O3: Focus on the scientific quality of the conference outputs: The best scientific and technical articles accepted to TRA2020 were published in two scientific journals: European Transport Research Review and Utilities Policy. CSA assembled a Scientific Panel, comprising recognised world-leading academics that selected the best-of-the-best articles for ETRR, which publication fees were covered by the project. The scientific articles of the TRA2020 authors were published in a Book of Abstracts, which contains the abstracts of and links to the conference articles approved for podium or poster presentation in the conference.
O4: Select and plan the demonstration activities and technical tours including related logistics: The technical tours were scheduled and presented when the registration opened in October 2019. Large part of the demonstrations were also selected and presented when the registration opened. At the end of February 2020, 11 demonstrations had registered, 8 of which from the original pool of accepted demo EoIs. A few (6) were still in negotiation at the time of cancellation.
O5: Coordinate and carry out liaison activities with all relevant stakeholders: CSA through its partners has chaired and prepared all the Management, Programme and Organising Committee meetings (agendas, materials, minutes) as well as National Secretariat & Stakeholders meetings.
O6: Promote TRA2020: Before the cancellation, the Newsletters were published monthly (12 altogether). Even after the cancellation, there were still four Newsletters published. Four different social media channels (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube) were utilised for communication purposes of TRA2020 conference. CSA through its partners have sent out thousands of marketing and promotional emails, taken part in dozens of transport research related events and held numerous presentations, pitches and talks to promote and market TRA2020. Also the personal and institutional networks of the partners have been incorporated. TRA2020 was also promoted in the professional magazine articles prior to the cancellation. In addition to the promotional help to all the webinars, TRA2020 CSA project provided a webinar tool Flik to the strategic sessions. The webinar calendar with the links to the event sites and registration was available at TRA2020 website. Later, also the links to the webinar recordings were published in the TRA2020 webinar website.
O7: Monitor and measure the conference success and identify development targets and the future of TRA: There were altogether 755 articles submitted, of which 215 to the journal track. Only 52 papers got an invitation to the journal track thus leaving 703 papers to the conference track. In the end, ETRR published 25 articles and UP 7 articles. Articles not published in journals, were returned to the conference track.
The true statistics of the conference attendees cannot be presented due to the cancellation. At the time of the cancellation, there were altogether 1304 registrations which is about half of the expected total number. Already paid conference participation fees and exhibition area payments were refunded for attendees. Between the end of April and the end of September, altogether 25 strategic, invited, and special focus sessions plus side events from the TRA2020 programme were held online (free of charge).
O2: Structuring and determining the contents of the event programme: The programme structuring took a lot of effort and it was finally published on February 4th. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference had to be cancelled on March 13th. Some of the objectives of TRA2020 were realised by virtual means. Between the end of April and the end of September altogether 25 sessions from TRA2020 programme were held online. The amendment was done for the CSA to enable the project members to participate in webinar planning and guidelines, scheduling and promoting.
O3: Focus on the scientific quality of the conference outputs: The best scientific and technical articles accepted to TRA2020 were published in two scientific journals: European Transport Research Review and Utilities Policy. CSA assembled a Scientific Panel, comprising recognised world-leading academics that selected the best-of-the-best articles for ETRR, which publication fees were covered by the project. The scientific articles of the TRA2020 authors were published in a Book of Abstracts, which contains the abstracts of and links to the conference articles approved for podium or poster presentation in the conference.
O4: Select and plan the demonstration activities and technical tours including related logistics: The technical tours were scheduled and presented when the registration opened in October 2019. Large part of the demonstrations were also selected and presented when the registration opened. At the end of February 2020, 11 demonstrations had registered, 8 of which from the original pool of accepted demo EoIs. A few (6) were still in negotiation at the time of cancellation.
O5: Coordinate and carry out liaison activities with all relevant stakeholders: CSA through its partners has chaired and prepared all the Management, Programme and Organising Committee meetings (agendas, materials, minutes) as well as National Secretariat & Stakeholders meetings.
O6: Promote TRA2020: Before the cancellation, the Newsletters were published monthly (12 altogether). Even after the cancellation, there were still four Newsletters published. Four different social media channels (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube) were utilised for communication purposes of TRA2020 conference. CSA through its partners have sent out thousands of marketing and promotional emails, taken part in dozens of transport research related events and held numerous presentations, pitches and talks to promote and market TRA2020. Also the personal and institutional networks of the partners have been incorporated. TRA2020 was also promoted in the professional magazine articles prior to the cancellation. In addition to the promotional help to all the webinars, TRA2020 CSA project provided a webinar tool Flik to the strategic sessions. The webinar calendar with the links to the event sites and registration was available at TRA2020 website. Later, also the links to the webinar recordings were published in the TRA2020 webinar website.
O7: Monitor and measure the conference success and identify development targets and the future of TRA: There were altogether 755 articles submitted, of which 215 to the journal track. Only 52 papers got an invitation to the journal track thus leaving 703 papers to the conference track. In the end, ETRR published 25 articles and UP 7 articles. Articles not published in journals, were returned to the conference track.
The true statistics of the conference attendees cannot be presented due to the cancellation. At the time of the cancellation, there were altogether 1304 registrations which is about half of the expected total number. Already paid conference participation fees and exhibition area payments were refunded for attendees. Between the end of April and the end of September, altogether 25 strategic, invited, and special focus sessions plus side events from the TRA2020 programme were held online (free of charge).
TRA2020 Transport Research Arena was meant to take place in the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre Messukeskus between 27 and 30 April 2020. Unfortunately, COVID-19 pandemic prevented the organisation of a physical TRA2020 conference event. With the physical conference cancelled, the TRA organisation wanted to bring the high-quality scientific work of the TRA2020 authors to the limelight in a written form. The scientific articles of the TRA2020 authors have been published in a Book of Abstracts, which contains the abstracts of and links to the conference articles approved for presentation in the conference. In addition, the best of the best TRA2020 papers have been published in two scientific (peer-reviewed) journals: European Transport Research Review and Utilities Policy. Some of the objectives of TRA2020 were realised by virtual means. Between the end of April and the end of September, altogether 25 strategic, invited and special focus sessions plus side events from the TRA2020 programme were held online.