Slide Plenary Sessions

PLENARY 3 – innovative infrastructure for europe 2030

Wednesday, 16 November 2022: 10:30-11:45

 

SPEAKERS: 

 

  • Alasdair Cain, Director of Research, Development and Technology Coordination at the US DoT
  • Annaleena Mäkilä, Chair of the European Sea Port Association (ESPO)
  • Bo Olsson, Chief Strategist at Trafikverket
  • Dirk Beckers, Director at CINEA – European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
  • João Caetano, President of the Portuguese Institute for Mobility and Transport
  • Pietro D’Arpa, Vice-president Supply Chain Procter & Gamble Europe

 

 

MODERATOR:

 

  • Jacki Davis

DESCRIPTION:

 

This Plenary Session, titled Innovative Infrastructure for Europe 2030, will foster the discussion of the main issues surrounding the future of transport infrastructure in Europe and beyond, considering the vision and goals set in relevant strategic documents such as the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, as well as the financing opportunities for infrastructure provided by the European Recovery and Resilience Plan.

 

Traffic on Europe’s roads and railways is increasing while much of the continent’s transport infrastructure is ageing and facing new climate-related challenges.  This is increasing the risk of accidents and undermines efficiency.  Investments have been and continue to be made to complete the physical TEN-T network, but there are still many bottlenecks and operational obstacles to cross-border multimodal freight and passenger transport.  At the same time, transport infrastructure is now facing new challenges and opportunities from energy transition and digitalization. It is important to improve how European infrastructure is designed, built, maintained, and operated taking into account the three dimensions: physical, energy, and digital.

 

New insights from research are needed to understand if and how the physical infrastructure needs to be altered to enable the deployment of alternative fuels and connectivity. New business and governance models, including procurement, can speed up the deployment of new technologies and enhance the passenger experience of cross-border travel. Widespread adoption of 5G connectivity will enable new services, optimize the use of existing infrastructure, and boost automation in all modes of transport.

 

 

KEY QUESTIONS:

 

  • How will we make our mobility-related infrastructure suited for seamless transport all over Europe, e.g., not too many transfers from one mode to the other, no waiting times, and enough penetration in rural and remote areas?
  • How do we prepare the existing physical infrastructure to support mobility’s digitalisation, not only in urban areas?
  • How can transport hubs become Green Deal Hubs?
  • How to encourage large spectrum innovations for sustainable regional deployments focused on efficient use of public space and circularity?
  • Which items do we need more innovation to avoid new infrastructure construction and even more land and resource use?
  • What will be the impact of the application of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF) in European infrastructure?