Surface Transport Management Projects in the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Union

Abstract

The Framework Programme (FP) is the European Union's (EU's) primary instrument for the funding of European research projects. The impossibility of obtaining comprehensive information on projects and thus of planning future research is a major problem for stakeholders and the research community. This project aims at providing an overview of the main areas of interest with regard to surface transport management in the EU by identifying which kinds of projects have been funded, the extent to which various nations have participated in and coordinated various projects, the degree of international cooperation within these projects, the amount of contributed funds and consequently the percentage of total EU funding for the surface transport management sector, and other relevant information. More than 700 projects related to transport were identified among the 4,634 projects financed to date by the current FP, the Sixth Framework Programme. Of the 700 projects, 106 had a direct impact on surface transport management and were analyzed. The analysis proposes to emphasize which research areas have attracted major interest within the EU and to clarify and integrate existing findings relevant to the institutional dimensions of surface transport management projects. It also proposes to stimulate, concentrate, and coordinate research efforts to overcome important shortcomings with regard to the political and economic dimensions of the EU and the pursuit of particularly promising themes related to the surface transport management sector. This study presents itself as an initial ground for future comparison of surface transportation R&D programs.