ERRAC opinion on the new SHIFT²RAIL Joint Undertaking
ERRAC @ the SHIFT²RAIL Stakeholder meeting
On June the 20th 2014, the European Commission organised in Brussels a stakeholder meeting at the occasion of the publication of the SHIFT²RAIL draft Master plan.
Officially adopted on June the 16th by the EU Council, the new SHIFT²RAIL Joint Undertaking will seek focused research and innovation (R&I) and market-driven solutions by accelerating the integration of new and advanced technologies into innovative rail product solutions.
The presentation of the draft Master plan was the opportunity for ERRAC, which the ERRAC Strategic Board also acts as the SHIFT²RAIL Advisory Council, to present its opinon on this unique initiative in the European rail sector.
In presence of Mrs Manuela Soares (General Director at DG RTD) and Mr. Keir Fitch (Head of the Research and Innovation unit at DG MOVE) and their services at the European Commission, the ERRAC Chairmanship via its Vice Chair, Mr. Manuel Pereira, expressed their support to the current SHIFT²RAIL concept and its objectives in line with priorities identified by ERRAC through its Strategic Rail Research & Innovation Agenda (SRRIA).
In its presentation, Mr. Pereira, on behalf of ERRAC ,also pointed out some challenges for the development of the Joint Undertaking such as standardisation but also knowledge transfer.
Finally, ERRAC ensured the European Commission of its full commitment to support the development of the rail research & innovation policy through SHIFT²RAIL but also via other financing opportunities for other rail related topics in Horizon 2020 as the new Joint Undertaking will not cover all of the ERRAC priorities from the SRRIA.
ERRAC Presentation: ERRAC_S2R_stakeholder_meeting_20062014_V0 3