Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking will provide a EUR 1.77 million co-financing for two projects worth EUR 2.34 million under the Call for Proposals 2021 which will contribute to a major European rail transformation. The new projects were launched during the European Year of Rail initiative.
Following this fully open call, Shift2Rail Members will be involved alongside non-Shift2Rail Members in one project worth EUR 2.17 million, while the other project worth EUR 0.17 million will be undertaken by non-Shift2Rail Members.
The new projects will work on improving European railway under two major topics – ‘Digital automated coupler innovation for the European Delivery Programme’, related to Shift2Rail’s Innovation Programme 5 on rail freight, and ‘R&I impact and benefits to make rail attractive for stakeholders’, linked to Shift2Rail’s Cross Cutting Activities.
In total, 12 participants will develop new solutions for railway systems under the Call for Proposals 2021.
“The rail sector has once again shown its dedication to deliver a major transformation of European rail by applying for our 2021 Call for Proposals, albeit limited in scope and within a short deadline. The new projects will contribute to improving rail freight automation – a much needed solution for rail freight in Europe. We are looking forward to successfully implementing the newly selected projects together with our Members and partners, and to demonstrating their potential to deliver a promising future for railways by paving the way to Shift2Rail’s successor programme, Europe’s Rail,” Carlo Borghini, the Executive Director of the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking, said.
With this Call for Proposals, and in only 5 years, Shift2Rail will have invested EUR 0.8 billion cumulatively in Research and Innovation activities, including Lighthouse Projects, accomplishing its mandate to recover the initial delays and accelerate the delivery of the Programme’s innovative solutions.
Considering the Additional Activities provided by its Members estimated at EUR 0.2 billion, the Shift2Rail Programme achieved a leverage effect of 2.2 times for each Euro invested by the Union.
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