GROWTH – DEDICATED CALL – 10/00
TOPIC IV.22
Network of European medium- and large-scale transport research
facilities operators.
1. CONFORMITY WITH THE WORK PROGRAMME
Network proposals are requested for this topic which is in conformity with objective
1.1.3-7.1 "Support for medium- and large-scale facilities" section of the activity
"Support to Research Infrastructure" within the GROWTH programme, for which
Expressions of Interest have been called. It is aligned with the Key Actions: New
Perspectives in Aeronautics and Land Transport and Marine Technologies.
2. KEYWORDS
Facilities, network, transport, partnership, co-operation.
3. SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES AND JUSTIFICATION
There is a need in Europe to better utilise and co-ordinate the medium and large-scale
research and test facilities relating to transport currently available in the EU Member
States. Europe's transport industry sectors are looking towards collaboration for long-term
survival against global competition; they will need many of the existing large-scale
facilities and thus co-operation at a European level is needed to ensure that the optimum
facilities are available in future.
4. BACKGROUND
Europe as a whole has more capability in research and in industrial production than its
major competitorsthe US and Japanbut does not enjoy the same industrial
competitivity as the other two economic powers. The Fifth Framework Programme
(5FP) seeks to address the problem at a fundamental level, through the funding of
collaborative, shared-cost RTD projects, in order to make more effective use of
Europe's research capabilities and to stimulate innovation.
Transport is an area that has seen increased funds available from the 5FP. The enhanced
priority of transport recognises that Europe's transport needsboth in terms of passengers
and goodsare growing faster than can be supported by current transport infrastructure.
Frequently cited examples are that of air traffic, which is predicted to double by the year
2010, and road transport, which has seen average road speeds decrease, particularly in
urban areas. Another important factor though is the increasing profile of environmental
priorities, such as vehicle exhaust emissions, reduced energy consumption, noise and the
use of new materials for vehicles and pavements. Safety and security for both passengers
and goods is also a priority, spanning the issues of both capacity and sustainability.
The transport industry sector relies heavily on medium- and large-scale facilities for
research and technology development in all of the areas mentioned above. Some examples
DC 10/00/Topic IV.22 Pg 2
of such facilities are: wind tunnels, hydrodynamic facilities, flight and ATC/ATM
simulators, climatic test, dedicated simulation for vehicle/infrastructure design, test-bed
vehicles, mechanical test equipment, air/land propulsion test, atmospheric/emissions
research.
There are approximately 230 such facilities in the EU. These facilities are essential for
realising new designs of both vehicles and infrastructure, through research validation and
testing. Without them, areas of transport research will be jeopardised.
At present, the future of many large facilities is determined by the level of national
support; whilst the funds available from government-funded research programmes are
declining, the increasing interest toward intermodality calls for better co-ordination and
facilities networking. With relatively short-term national operations as the major factor in
support for medium and large-scale facilities, the long-term view at a European level is not
a major consideration for some important facilities.
Research organisations in the transport sector are already experiencing the beginning of an
erosion which could eventually threaten rare and valuable facilities. The fact that this will
threaten the survival of Europe's transport industries has already been recognised, for
example in the aerospace sector.
If Europe fails to make the best use of important medium and large-scale facilities and they
become non-viable, it will be difficult to invest in new ones. This will lead to loss of
capability and will be damaging to Europe's competitive position.
Although intra-EU transport of passengers and goods is increasing and collaboration in the
transport industry is increasing at a European level, there is a reluctance to concede
national control of research capabilities. This highlights the need for a cooperative
approach to the assimilation of the current capabilities and identification of future
requirements. This needs to be followed up by a strategy, which will propose how existing
facilities could be better managed and used via co-operation networking, in order to
provide optimum support for Europe's future transport research requirements.
5. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
The proposed networking of transport facilities will have both economic and social
benefits to Europe and its citizens, even if in the final analysis it concludes that cooperation will be most effective if coordination remains firmly at sector level.
The primary economic benefit is that of an optimum research facility capacity for Europe's
transport industry, in terms of capability, cost-effectiveness and availability for current and
projected future requirements. The future of much of Europe's transport industry is in
collaborative and joint ventures. This will need access to the optimum research and test
facilities the European Community has to offer in order to maximise its competitiveness.
The opportunity for users of large-scale facilities to identify the most appropriate facilities
from readily available information is clearly beneficial, as well as the indication of
selection and availability the user can obtain directly from the network of facility
operators.
The current size of the transport market in Europe is €470 billionaround 7% of the EU
GDPand the number of people employed in the transport equipment industry is 2
million, half of which in aeronautics. If left to market forces, Europe's transport industry
will decline and this will result in lower employment and job losses. Project collaboration
and partnership will help to focus industrial efforts and maintain an efficient and
competitive European industry, but this co-operation should include those medium- and
large-scale research facilities that will enable industry to maintain a competitive advantage
in Europe.
DC 10/00/Topic IV.22 Pg 3
Achieving sustainable growth will require Europe's transport industry actors to further
commit themselves to addressing environmental and traffic issues; knowledge of, and
access to, the optimum research facilities will help them to do this. The transport of goods
within the EU has grown since 1970 by 75% and the growth in passenger transport has
been more dramatic120% since 1970. The percentage of private car owners has
increased by 150% in 30 years and it is widely asserted that air traffic in Europe will
double by 2010. Against this increasing strain on the transport infrastructure there is a
growing need to minimise the environmental impact of transport infrastructure and
vehicles.
Priorities for vehicles include: reducing exhaust emissions, increasing fuel
economy, developing zero-emission propulsion technologies, improving
passenger/goods safety & security, use of recyclable materials, increasing the use
of real-time data for safety.
Priorities for transport infrastructure include: aircraft noise, new air traffic
management systems and operations (using for example satellite positioning and
navigation technology), marine operations, improved intermodal operations,
enhanced safety and security at modal and intermodal nodes, pavement materials
and control/communications infrastructure.
Large-scale research facilities are necessary to enable industry to address these priorities
and co-operation at a European level will enable the industrial actors to maintain a
competitive advantage in Europe.
6. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES
The objective of the network would be to establish a structured co-operation between
major establishments of medium and large-scale facilities relating to transport research.
The co-operation and networking would seek to promote support for valuable facilities
that may otherwise be threatened .
The network should aim to become self-supporting in the longer term and proposers
should address how this would be achieved in detail.
6.1
Objectives.
Typical objectives of this network are given below, proposers should detail their specific
solutions including the activities, milestones and deliverables:
1. Catalogue: Establish a website of transport-related research facilities

Identify facilities within the network relating to transport and which are 'medium- or
large-scale', including those under construction.

List the performance characteristics, availability and quality assurance standards

Classify and group the facilities by type and by capability

Develop a website where the information can be accessed by researchers and users
2. Capture demand: Identify facilities of critical importance with respect to current
and future requirements of end-users

Identify projected level of demand for type of facilities, both amongst existing
customers and amongst potential new customers based on the inventory of facilities
and capabilities from phase 1.
DC 10/00/Topic IV.22 Pg 4

Define groups of facilities that could provide a better service to users via 'crossfertilisation' and networking between transport modes or between research
establishments / operators. This means that some sectors or establishments may be
made aware of facilities in other sectors, which could provide them with an
improved research/validation/test service.

Promote use of the website amongst researchers/users so that they might identify the
most appropriate facilities for their specific research projects.
3. Develop strategy: Propose method/s for managing those facilities (or part of them)
via partnership agreements or other sharing schemes

Identify facilities required for specific national programmes

Identify facilities which could, in principle, be shared by network members or subgroups of them.

Study to investigate the potential for partnering agreements, based on joined
management of network of facilities, across national and organisational boundaries.
If it is found that co-ordination between sectors and/or organisations is appropriate,
then suitable methodologies for partnering agreements should be proposed.

Develop a strategy for continued networking and co-operation beyond the EC
funding period.
7. IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Proposed network should be of manageable size. However the structure should be such
that all relevant facilities that are not part of the proposed contractual network but who
wish to be classified can be included.
Proposers should note that submissions must follow the network modality and the
allowable cost structure.