It has been almost four years since the foundation of Shift2Rail. It is not many, but we can say that the work done by the whole Shift2Rail JU team, including project teams of members involved in CFMs (Calls for Founding Members) and open calls is appropriate to how much time was spent on preparing of research and innovation projects and working on them. Research and innovation are not short-term activities, but at least mid-to long-term ones. Keeping that in mind, I, as the chairman of States Representatives Group, can confirm, that founding the joint undertaking was the right decision, which came almost too late, but only almost. The joint undertaking enables what previous framework programmes for research and innovation did not: direct influence on preparation of innovation projects so that they fully suit the needs of the entire railway sector, but mainly so that they fulfil wishes of railway customers for rapid, safe, easily accessible, and especially cost effective transport.
The Czech Republic is one of the most active EU member states. It has been actively involved in joint undertaking activity and even though it has only one Associated
Member, it is also represented in the Scientific Committee and it holds the chairmanship of States Representative Group for the second term. However, activity is not measured only by direct memberships in the joint undertaking, but also involvement in open calls. When comparing to other EU member states, such as Germany, France, or the United Kingdom, companies and organisations from the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and Slovakia have successfully managed to participate in more than five projects from the first two calls. Companies are actively involved in all innovative packages, which creates a prerequisite for successful implementation of projects into practice. But not all EU member states or countries associated to H2020 are doing this well. There are many countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which have not found the courage to overcome administrative challenges in project preparation. Thus we have to focus on and help these countries, because otherwise those innovations are, again, going to be only proclamations and railway is going to be in the background of interest, thus outran by other modes of transport. All projects and activities of the joint undertaking have one thing in common: they try to lower the costs in railway transport by implementing progressive technologies, such as internet of things, use of satellite tracking of objects, automated train guidance, etc., which is possible to sum up into a single word – digitalisation. Development of information technologies, which can be used by passengers and freight transport customers, also fall into this category. All projects are prepared as interoperable. Projects in IP2 especially, since they substantially support the already ongoing implementation of ERTMS.
It might seem that everything is completely in order and that there is no need for improvement. However, that is not completely true, because some member states have objections to activities in IP4 (IT for passenger transport) and IP5 (state-of-the-art freight transport). It is necessary to improve especially innovation focused of the projects in these areas, because competition on technological companies from the IT sector is very high. I will not name specific accomplishments or shortcomings of companies involved in the joint undertaking’s activities. I would only like to present Czech, Slovak, Austrian, and Italian companies, universities, and RUs as the role models, because they are very successful in the projects.
The ongoing evaluation of activities clearly shows, that all subjects involved must try to get even more funds available for Shift2Rail 2 innovation platform in the next planning period after 2020 so that it can build competitive and technologically well-equipped railway of the 21st century. All members of SRG, including myself, the chairman, are ready to help all who have the desire to be active.
Contribution by:
Miroslav Haltuf
Chairman of Shift2Rail –
States Representative Group
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