During the initial establishment of ECTRI, the organization operated with three process-oriented Working Groups: Mobility and Training, Hard Research Facilities and Soft Research Infrastructures. Their mission, Members and achievements are described below. In parallel, one Working Group was engaged in developing the communication tools within the association.
Later on, as part of the ECTRI Strategy review, six Thematic Groups were instituted, encompassing: Mobility, Freight and Logistics, Economics and Policy, Safety, Security and Resilience and Traffic management and modelling. In 2023, the Thematic Group on Security and Resilience was temporarily suspended.
Mobility and Training
The Working Group on Mobility and Training ‘s mission was the promotion of human resources and mobility. Its aims were:
- To tackle with the attraction and the preparation of next steps of mobility and training of transport scientists including the next generation.
- To discuss all the elements of “actions to promote human resources and mobility” including or not proposals to Marie Curie programme, exchanges of researchers, post-doctorants and doctorants.
- To define the areas the most suitable for action at short, medium and long terms.
LET was moderator of this Working Group, in which AIT, BASt, DLR, HIT and UPM participated in this activity.
Within the frame of this Working Group activities, ECTRI has jointly organised first with FERSI and then with FERSI and FEHRL organisations, the Young Researchers Seminars that gave young researchers the opportunity to present the results of their researches in the frame of multicultural and interdisciplinary European tutorials.
ECTRI also took part in Marie Curie and People actions by submitting proposals. In FP6, ECTRI participated in 3 Marie Curie Actions related to Transfer of Knowledge (TOK) and International Reintegration Grant (IRG):
- TRANS-AID (TOK): Transfer of Knowledge in Transport Infrastructure financing: 3 partners including INRETS and HIT
- TITaM (TOK): Transport Infrastructure technologies and Management: 3 partners including CDV and TRL
- VUDEGFEM (IRG): Vulnerable road users: detailed geometry and finite element models for impact conditions: INRETS
Hard Research Facilities
The Working Group on Hard Research Facilities‘ mission was the establishment of an European transport research facilities agenda. Its aims were:
- To establish an European transport research facilities agenda by distinguishing existing and new ones.
- To discuss while taking into account the ECTRI survey, INTRANSNET and TREE projects surveys all the elements contained in an integrated infrastructure initiative such as: opening, access to existing, survey on new needs and the scope of these elements.
- To define the areas which are most suitable for such new infrastructures and their roles for research, certification or testing.
FHG was moderator of this Working Group and DLR, HIT, INRETS, TNO, TRL, UPM, VTI and VTT and participated in this activity.
One of the actions of the WG was the preparation of a report on ECTRI research infrastructures, Survey results issued in May 2002.
Soft Research Infrastructures
The Working Group on Soft Research Infrastructures‘ mission was the establishment of an European transport research soft infrastructures agenda, notably for libraries, databases, data-sets. Its aims were:
- To establish an European transport research soft infrastructures agenda notably for libraries, databases, ICT networks of works, Visio conferences, … (at the exception of hard facilities).
- To discuss by distinguishing existing, new ones and their interoperability, all the elements contained in an integrated infrastructure initiative such as: opening, access, networking, integrating survey on adaptation or new needs and the scope of these elements.
- To define the areas which are the most suitable for integration and their role in front of the European and international excellence of ECTRI networks as a whole.
DLR was moderator of this Working Group and DVS, CDV, INRETS, KTI, TØI and UPM participated in this activity.
ECTRI researchers community can access to the Working Group 4 database on Soft Research Infrastructures.