The Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2008, a three-day conference on road transport development, started in Ljubljana on Monday. According to European Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik, the event aims to strengthen cooperation in the area of transport development.
The conference slogan "Greener, safer and smarter road transport for Europe" demands a comprehensive approach based on technology, innovation, investment and legal regulations, Potocnik told the participants.
He pointed to road transport as the main source of industrial development, economic income, jobs and technological development in Europe, but also warned of its disadvantages such as the death toll, traffic congestions and CO2 emissions.
In the next seven years, the European Commission will devote over EUR 4bn to the development of new technologies to make European roads greener, safer and more profitable, Potocnik said. He added that in order to achieve these goals more cooperation is needed withing the sector.
Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav called for quick and efficient solutions to the challenges of current transport development. He pointed out that Slovenia's rapid economic growth has resulted in an expansion of road transport.
This is why it is imperative that the country completes its motorway network as soon as possible, modernises its railway network, re-directs heavy goods transport to the railway, increases road safety and reduces traffic noise, the minister added.
Accounting for 20% of GDP, employing 9% of the work force, consuming 30% of all research and development activities, creating 20% of CO2 emissions and taking 400,000 lives per year, road transport is one of the biggest sectors in Europe and also one of the most complex systems, said Chairman of European Road Transport Research Advisory Council Wolfgang Steiger, who called for more cooperation among the sectors.
The conference, which is bringing together 1,200 researches, industry officials, users and government representatives from 57 countries, was organised by three directorates of the European Commission in cooperation with the Slovenian Transport Ministry, the Slovenian Roads Agency, the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute and the company DDC Consulting and Engineering.
The conference aims at uniting research activities in the area of transport within the EU and thus help in achieving the Lisbon strategy target of devoting 3% of GDP for research projects by 2010.
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