ECTRI support projects on FP6

ECTRI supported several FP6 projects, in which ECTRI members are involved:

In the framework of FP6 ECTRI particularly supported three Networks of Excellence in which several ECTRI members participated: Humanist, EURNEX and APSN, a Coordination Action: TRANSFORUM, and a Specific Support Action: EUROACCESS. After the end of FP6, all three Networks of Excellence became Virtual Centres of Excellence (VCE). ECTRI developed some close cooperation with this VCE’s, based on the signature of the Lyon Declaration in December 2008.


The goal of the HUMANIST NoE was to promote a Human centred desing approach and to federate research in its scientific domain, by creating a European Virtual Centre. The creation of the virtual centre was an answer to the scattering of research capacities in Europe . This was been done by setting up strong connections between partners inside the NoE. The relationship with universities and the academic world outside the NoE were not set aside, and were enhanced through training programmes and welcoming young researchers.

Outputs from NoE were also aimed at other relevant stakeholders such as National and European public authorities, Standardisation Bodies, National and European RTD Projects. The diffusion and transfer of knowledge, in addition to common partnerships between NoE and these entities ensured the flow of information in order to disseminate the concept of Human centred design outside the Network. Such a diffusion of information ensured the effectiveness of the expected impacts.

The HUMANIST NoE involved 22 partners including, HITCDVDTFINRETS (coordinator), TNOTØITRL, UPMVTT and VTI.

Since the end of the project in 2008, HUMANIST became a “Virtual Centre of Excellence”.


EURNEX – the European Rail Research Network of Excellence – created in January 2004 and aimed to integrate a fragmented research landscape, promoted the railways contribution to sustainable development and improved the competitiveness and economic stability of the European rail sector. EURNEX included 63 universities and research centres from 18 EU Member States and Russia, as well as key railway associations, such as UIC, UITP, and UNIFE.

The EURNEX NoE involved 70 partners including CERTH/HITDLRDTFFHGINRETSUPMVTI and VTT.

In October 2007 Eurnex became an association as Virtual Centre of Excellence.


The logo-apsn_thumbaim of APSN – Advanced Passive Safety Network – was to mobilise the European scientific & business expertise in Vehicle Passive Safety to accelerate improvements in road safety in order to reduce the number of annual road victims in the European Union. APSN joint technical and scientific objective was to enhance the level of road safety at affordable costs for the individual user as well as for the European society. APSN members’ expertise varies from vehicle, body parts and restraint system manufacturers, computer modelling and softwares companies to international research and educational organisations like universities, crash testing and biomechanical research institutes. The Network counted more than 50 different organisations from about 20 different countries.

The APSN NoE involved 53 partners including FHGINRETSTNO (Coordinator) and TRL.

After the end of the project in 2008, APSN became the ISN (Integrated Safety Network) Virtual Centre of Excellence.


The TRANSFORUM – Scientific Forum on Transport Forecast Validation and Policy Assessement project was a coordination action that intended to create a virtual transport research forum for online discussion. The project aimed at facilitating the work of researchers, policy makers and stakeholders brought together in order to check transport policy tools developed by FP- and national research against factors like scientific consistency, transparency and appropriateness to fit policy makers, users’ and stakeholders’ needs.

The TRANSFORUM CA involved nine partners including AVV (Coordinator) CDVCERTH/HITINRETS, TNOTRLUPM and VTT.


EuroaccessECTRI favoured the preparation and is supporting the EUROACCESS project, a Specific Support Action (SSA) funded by the EC under the 6th FP.The objective of this project is to contribute to the development of the EU policy on the accessibility of the transport systems in the 27 member states, and one EFTA country, in order to promote social integration and active participation in society of people with disabilities. This project began on January 1, 2007 and will last 24 months with a budget of 425.000€.
The consortium was composed of ERT, INRETS (ScientificCoordinator), CERTU, Ann Frye Ltd, Lunds University, TIS.pt and TØI.