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Record attendance at TRA 2014

Organisers of the 5th edition of the Transport Research Arena (TRA), Europe's largest conference on transport research and innovation, say the event attracted record attendance levels. Held at CNIT in Paris 14-17 April 2014, the event drew almost 3,000 visitors from 56 countries. Over 130 sessions, 650 presentations, 15 associated events and 1,000m² of exhibitions welcomed researchers and industrial and public policy players. They came together to examine their ideas about our society's changing transpor
April 22, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Organisers of the 5th edition of the 1109 Transport Research Arena (TRA), Europe's largest conference on transport research and innovation, say the event attracted record attendance levels.

Held at CNIT in Paris 14-17 April 2014, the event drew almost 3,000 visitors from 56 countries.

Over 130 sessions, 650 presentations, 15 associated events and 1,000m² of exhibitions welcomed researchers and industrial and public policy players. They came together to examine their ideas about our society's changing transport usage and requirements in the face of increasingly serious energy and environmental challenges.

"We wanted this conference to cover all the stages from laboratory research right through to industrial implementation, and I am delighted with the result. Half of all our participants were researchers, the other half were policy-makers, engineers and industrial players... Mission accomplished!” said a delighted Hélène Jacquot-Guimbal, managing director of IFSSTAR (the organising body) and vice president of the TRA2014 steering committee.

Keen to assist in creating a favourable environment for jobs and the economy, TRA2014 for the first time offered business opportunities for capitalising on research findings, backed by a desire to help to strengthen European competitiveness.

In addition to the high-level scientific discussions, the event also helped to create links between different transport industry players. The various work sessions all demonstrated that each mode of transport depends on all of its stakeholders.

Organisers of TRA 2014 said that the dynamic created over the four days encouraged the European technological platforms ALICE (logistics) and ECTP (infrastructures) to request seats on the TRA steering committee.

A summary of the scientific findings from TRA2014, along with the principal directions that can be drawn from them to assist with planning public transport policy, will be presented at the European Mobility Exhibition from 10 to 12 June 2014 in Paris.

TRA2014 ended with the baton being passed to Poland, with the country’s capital Warsaw due to host the subsequent edition in 2016.

In her concluding remarks, Jacquot-Guimbal gave her sincere thanks to the 2465 European Commission as well as to the CEDR (Conference of European Directors of Roads) and the European technological platforms ERTRAC (automotive), ERRAC (rail) and Waterborne TP (maritime, port and river) for the quality of their partnerships.

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