rfr · GS0WRFR1 · 2005-01-01 00:00:00 — According to calculations by , maintaining the infrastructure will require 42 billion in the next ten years. The research program on infrastructure and efficient transport systems, which was launched in 2003, will continue through 2007 and has funding of 16 million to 17 million. The research questions are general: can the transport system be improved so as to encourage national and regional economic growth more efficiently than in the past? How should the planning, organization, development, operation, and funding of the transport infrastructure be shaped? What should the urban transport system look like? How should public transport be promoted? Ap- proximately 50 projects are being conducted as part of this program. STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT 2004/05:RFR1 The objectives of transport policy are extremely high in . The momentous waves of innovation seem to have passed, or measures have already acted upon them. The Swedish agenda evidently has no new, innovative topic capable of stimulating German transport policy, too. This program area at seems correspondingly uninspiring. Known projects are being monitored and evaluated and certain analytical tools are being developed. Scientific preparations based on extensive data are preparing the way for the introduction of the congestion pricing already familiar in , a measure that will be monitored and evaluated. The project is scheduled to begin in 2005 in . The long-term objective is to analyze the impacts that the road toll has on traffic. Another project deals with the effects that the construction of the Øresund has had on regional development. A vast amount of data is being collected and analyzed for this purpose, and procedures for forecasting developments in traffic are undergoing examination. A third project is about the development of analytical tools for measuring the effects that investments in infrastructure have on local labor markets. Transport in Rural Areas The organization of public transport in rural areas is a special, costly problem in because of the geographic conditions involved. For this reason, comprehensive public transport of passengers is no longer the only mode of available. Private alternatives (including passenger cars) and transport on demand are sought. Projects testing and evaluating small solutions of this sort are therefore being funded. Logistics and Freight Transport runs a program on innovative logistics and freight transport systems, which was launched in 2003 and will continue through 2007. It has a budget of 13 million to 15 million, 50 to 70 percent of which comes from the government and 30 to 50 percent from industry. This program ensued from the relatively high costs of logistics in . It is hoped that optimization of logistical skills will enable Swedish companies to establish customercentered supplier networks for the global market despite the countrys peripheral location. This program is intended to meet industrys demand for quick research results and easy access to researchers. This program has given rise to around 50 projects. Network and () The Swedish industry produced approximately 745,000 vehicles in 2002. About 280,000 of them were of domestic manufacture, and 25,000 of those were trucks. In addition, basic components for about 100,000 transport vehicles are produced in . They are subsequently assembled in other parts of Europe. 2004/05:RFR1 STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT Most of this production85 percent of the cars and 95 percent of the trucks and busesis earmarked for export. This export of vehicles and their components reached a value of 12 billion in 2002, accounting for 14.1 percent of total exports. The industry represents 25 percent of the countrys trade balance. From 1974 to 2002, the export of vehicles and components rose by a factor 3.3, from 3.7 billion to 12 billion (in 2002 prices).103 The two following programs are part of the Network and (), which was created in 1994 by the Swedish industry (AB , , , and the Scandinavian suppliers), , , , and the as an agreement to cooperate. The program is directed by an independent chairperson appointed by the government. The objectives of the PFF are to simplify the coordination of R&D in the area of technology. The PFF is also intended to serve as a forum for the discussion and analysis of current issues within the sector. Four research programs have emerged from the PFF: the vehicle research program (ffp), the Initiative (Gröna Bilen104), the emission research program (EMFO), and a program on intelligent vehicle safety (IVSS). The programs are presented in the following sections about the authorities responsible for each of them. Innovative Vehicles and Systems The intention of 77 million ffp research program (19942004) is to promote the sustainable growth and strengthen the competitiveness of the Swedish industry and all types of transport through high-quality research on safety, the environment, and the costquality ratio. The PFF conducts the research program (2000 through 2005) on a budget of approximately 200 million, of which 30 percent comes from government sources, 70 percent from industry. Its 80 projects consist of an R&D program and a training agreement designed to raise the number of university graduates specialized in vehicles. The goal is to develop environmentally friendly passenger cars, buses, and trucks. The foremost research interest lies in engine technology, emission research, and hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles. Detailed work is being done on methane-gas engines, the recycling of emissions, hybrid and fuel-cell technology, intelligent transport services (ITS), and weight reduction. 103PFF and Its Work. STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT 2004/05:RFR1 Basic Researchers Criticism of Not surprisingly, is controversial among the transport researchers at the universities in Sweden.105 They state that transport is a marginal topic for and that setting up brought Swedish transport research to a standstill for two years. In the opinion of these experts, the high-quality Ph.D. training in , fostered by KFB, is jeopardized by because there is the agency has no interest in basic research, only in results that can be used quickly. Consequently, the fear is that will begin to lag in basic research. These specialists assert that the universities have trouble acquiring funds for transport research and that has not found the important focal points of the research for the next decade. The researchers interviewed about this topic contend that the areas underlined seem to be decided upon rather randomly. When evaluating the research projects, they say, considers only the priorities that it has defined itself. In the view of these critics, the universities ought not necessarily follow the industrial orientation that is setting the trend. , The Road Authority , the Swedish road authority, has its seat in and employs 6,500 people across 350 locations.106 It is responsible for passenger and freight transport by road and water. Besides subjects such as safety, the environment, accessibility, and efficiency, Vision 0 enjoys high priority in the definition of research programs. With a budget of 21.5 million in 2004, a ten-year (20042013) program for knowledge and innovation in the road transport system stakes out five areas for development. They are (a) people in with the transport system, (b) sustainability of the transport system, (c) a city for all, (d) safer and better environmental features of vehicles, and (e) increased efficiency of transport management and information for road users. The first of these areas, people in with the transport system, had a budget of 2.3 million in 2004. The research interest centers on the venturesome nature of various road users and their different ways of using the transport system. The aim is to deepen what is understood about these groups by observing the interaction between people, vehicles, the context of transport, and technical systems. Using a sociopsychological approach, researchers are studying the factors that control the relationships involved. They are also inquiring into the effects of new technologies whose introduction can eventually make it more difficult for some groups to use the roads than is currently the case. Projects on safety serve to expand knowledge about the effect of technologies such as automatic speed adaptation. 105Interviews with Professor (31 2003 and 31 2004), Professor (), (), Professor (), and (). 106Vägverket (Swedish Road Authority) (2001), Annual Report, 2001 [brochure], , . 2004/05:RFR1 STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT research includes the study of the willingness to use environmentally sound means of . The topic of sustainability of the transport system has a current annual budget of 1 million. The program investigates the interplay of planning and construction. The researchers are looking specifically at (a) measures that can influence the transport requirements and the selection of the means of transport; (b) measures that improve efficiency in the use of the existing road network or vehicles; (c) the limited modernization of the existing structure, including the determination of the central measures for such work; and (d) new investment in the roads. Mobility management is to broaden the range of choices offered by multimodal transport. The key questions are how the transport system can become more adept at handling potential risks and how it can be more flexible and more reliable than it is at present. The overriding objective of third research area, a city for all, is to increase the number of trips taken with public transport. The capacity, quality, and competitiveness of public transport, its operation, and its maintenance are to be optimized for this purpose. New logistical solutions for supply and delivery transport are to be planned and tested. Work on infrastructures in cities often incurs high costs because of expensive and complex construction. The measures and costs are analyzed for their effectiveness, impacts, objectives, and acceptance. This area of research on public transportation is complemented by efforts to work out alternative models for operating and financing investments in the system as a whole, which the researchers are appraising chiefly in terms of costs and effectiveness. The 2004 budget for this area of development is 800,000. A research program running from 2004 through 2013 deals with the safety and advancement of the environmental features of vehicles. A budget of 1.3 million has been made available for this work in 2004. It centers on the technical development of vehicles. Attention is directed to the vehicle safety requirements needed in the interest of all road users and to emission abatement by means of renewable energies such as biofuels. Research also concentrates on the function and dependability of technical equipment for maintaining and passive safety and on the effect that the design of the drivers seat has on safe driving. The limits of human interaction with vehicles are being explored. Existing adverse environmental impacts have prompted continuation of work on the familiar topic of trying to understand what leads people to the particular means of transport they choose. Vehicle selection, components, accessories, and driving styles are the subjects of most interest. Congestion, the effects of transporting heavy loads, and the transport of hazardous materials are the main interests of a research program on upgrading the efficiency of traffic management and information for road users. With a budget of 1.9 million in 2004, the aim of this program is to model tools and methods for assessing the effects of planned measures for managing traffic. Measures and methods of monitoring traffic and of providing information, services, and accessories while en route are being developed for this purpose. STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT 2004/05:RFR1 The effects of new information accessories and the longand short-term costs entailed are being assessed. Through the PFF initiative described above, both the government and the industry are investing far more money in the following programs for vehicle development than in those described above. Vehicle emissions is a subprogram headed by the PFF board. The program runs from 2003 through 2008. Of the 14 million to 22 million budgeted for it, one third comes from , one third from other government sources, and one third from industry. The long-term objective of this sectorwide research program is to develop vehicles and components that curb emissions. A short-term goal in the first three years is to strengthen the national research setting by offering opportunities for representatives of different interests and disciplines to meet and address the future need for knowledge and skills in industry and society. The collaboration of research institutes, the public sector, and industry is being intensified. Objectives for the next five to ten years are to achieve a quantifiable curtailment of emissions from road traffic, to augment knowledge in that area, and to train scientific personnel. The program will emphasize (a) the search for functional solutions in the future development of admissible emission standards for diesel engines; (b) the of emission statistics; and (c) the study of the interaction between the road surfaces and vehicles, particularly with regard to noise and particles, future alternative fuels and vehicles, and the environment and health. Attention also centers on vehicles, ITS, and traffic management. In the same context there is a program on information technologies in vehicles: intelligent vehicle safety systems (IVSS) and smart technologies. The program runs from 2003 through 2008 and has a budget of 71 million funded by the government and industry. This research seeks ways to avoid accidents and protect against injury, to simplify and modernize the operation of vehicles, and to promote the safety of unprotected road users through use of technology and independent systems within and outside the vehicle as a way of lessening the consequences of road accidents. This research and the attendant demonstrations center on developments in driver assistance and person-machine interfaces, a communication platform, sensor-controlled systems, ITS, the mitigation of the consequences of road accidents, biomechanics and design for safety, preparedness for dealing with injuries, and reliable and dynamic safety systems in vehicles. The developmental areas and programs described above encompass the following approved projects:107 -State of the art in bioalcohol admixture in gasoline -Modeling and measurement of emissions from heavy vehicles -Evaluation of effects that emissions from road traffic have on ecosystems 2004/05:RFR1 STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT -Diesel engine with extreme emissions and fuel -Relation between road design and noise pollution in agglomerations -Cost analysis of the transition to nonfossil fuels -Quantification and identification of hydrogen particles in modern diesel engines and fuels -Emissions, impurities, noise, and impacts on health -Direct measurement of the discharge of soot and carbon dioxide -Macroeconomic analysis of health and air quality -ITS and the impacts on emissions -Macroeconomic costs incurred by congestion -Transport of trucks by rail -Bus accidents, state of health, and weather conditions -Summary of landscape information in the planning process -Attitude of young people toward alcohol, transport, and information fairs In the course of liberalization, (), the state railroad company, was divided into six companies. One of them, the railroad authority (),108 is headquartered in . is in charge of the infrastructure and the timetables. The train stations belong to Jernhusen. is responsible for freight transport. (maintenance), (cleaning), and (information and technology) have meanwhile been sold. research program on the railroad system integrates four perspectives: sociocultural considerations, the market and competition, effectiveness and efficiency, and safety and the environment. current project list entails research on siting and development issues of the railroad system:109 -Innovative railroad technology -Quality-related objectives and appropriate measurement methods -Economic effects of environmental protection measures -Experience with automated railroad systems -Improvement of calculations relating to freight transport -Study on planning processes pertaining to projects on infrastructure -Evaluation of potentially dangerous locations 108Interview with , coordinator of the research department of , , , , with representing . STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT 2004/05:RFR1 -Freight trains in the city -Determination of the willingness to pay for comfort -Competitive pricing for the railroad Projects on the railroads competitiveness delve into the wishes of , information technologies and behavior, decentralized logistics systems, the flow of freight and combined transport, punctuality, standardized power systems for freight trains, and the development of train cars. Technical projects are conducted on a variety of topics relating to efficiency: railroad control systems and technology, propulsion technology, and administration. The role as an instrument for developing the railroad sector is also a subject of inquiry. Projects on systems safety and the environment deal with emissions and their effects on groundwater and vegetation. Other projects treat issues of safety and risk minimization. The projects are part of the overall R&D program for 2000 through 2005, which has a government-funded budget of 7.5 to 10 million. It has subprograms, each with its own areas of development. One of them is called rail transport systems from a societal point of view. It takes up strategic questions about the relationships between policy decisions on taxes and duties, the conditions shaping rail transport, the planning and the organization of rail transport, international cooperation, the planning and construction of railroads, coordination with other local planning ideas, and aesthetic design. The participants in this program of 36 projects include government institutions, researchers and developers, railroad operators, transport companies, the railroad industry, consultants, entrepreneurs, passengers, and . A second program supports an additional 36 research projects on the railroad system from a market perspective. To enlarge the railroads share of the market and its attractiveness, researchers are looking into changes in the market and customer demand, the development of appealing vehicles, the appropriate design of freight vehicles for trade and industry, and logistics. The efficiency of the railroads internal operations is the topic of a third program under . Productivity, efficiency, the costfunction relationship, accessibility, capacity, and reliability are seen as essential to the future competitiveness of the railroad sector. Five areas of R&D are defined: efficient traffic control, railroad technology, energy supply, management, and the clients role as an instrument for developing the railroad sector. , , was founded in 1998 as a public authority. Its task is to transform the energy system into an economically and ecologically sustainable system by controlling government capital in the energy area.110 To this end, the agency is expected to work with trade 2004/05:RFR1 STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT and industry, utility companies, local government, and the research community. STEM furthers the production of renewable energies, new production technologies, and the effective use of energy. Its duties include passing knowledge and information to consumers, industry, and the public sector. The agency performs regulatory tasks in the energy area and monitors the gas market. The energy agency conducts a program on energy and transport centers. This ten-year program focuses on basic research on internal combustion engines and has a budget of 60 million, which is raised jointly with industry. The work is carried out at three competence centers. The topics are the combustion process, catalysis, and the technology of internal combustion engines. A second program (19982004) has probed the production of ethanol from wood and has had a budget of 25 million, half of which comes from the government. The objective is to manufacture and use ethanol as an alternative and CO2-neutral fuel. An experimental facility for bulk production of ethanol from wood has been built for this purpose. Half of the programs budget has been invested in it; the other half, in research. A three-year program (20032006) with a budget of 6 million from the government is intended to the long-term development, distribution, and consumption of alternative fuelsethanol, methanol, biogas, and rapeseed methylester (). In addition to exploring the production of alternative fuels, the research also addresses their introduction into the market. The energy system of road vehicles is the topic of a program running from 2000 to 2006. Its budget of 25 million comes from the government. The objective is to work with international actors to develop new technologies that reduce the fuel consumption of new passenger cars by 50 percent and that of trucks by 20 percent. Traditional internal combustion engines, electric and hybrid vehicles, and fuel cells are being researched for this purpose. The program is part of the PFF initiative described above. This section presents some of the older or completed technical research projects that are highly regarded in Swedish transport research. The project on intelligent speed adaptation () has a budget of 8 million. It entails ambitious technical work on limiting speed and enhancing road safety by means of information technology instead of bollards. Systems have been tested extensively in the cities of , , , and STRATEGIES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS PERTAINING TO POLICY ON TRANSPORT 2004/05:RFR1 Lund.111 The test vehicles are equipped with on-board computers that record each vehicles location within the test grounds via GPS. The on-board computers contain a digital map of the test zone and show the speed limit for each road traveled. Exceeding the speed limit triggers an acoustical alarm, which does not shut off until the speed limit is observed again. A gas pedal that blocks at excessive speed has been tested but rejected. In the course of these tests, the number of serious accidents in the test zone fell by 25 percent and the general speed dropped. Professional taxi drivers participated in the test only briefly before removing the system. They felt restricted by it. In the system is meanwhile being pilot tested in buses as well. Because the idea of disseminating through manufacturers failed, an effort is now underway to spread the use of the system in vehicles through public administrations. CDUCooperation on Maintaining the Infrastructure of the Infrastructure (CDU)112 was founded as a project in 1995 by , ; (); and . The goal is to promote research on and Ph.D. training for the operation and maintenance of the rail and road infrastructure. The research topics are identified and pursued by Ph.D. students, among others, in agreement with all partners. Seminars and workshops accompany this work. In 2000 the CDU had a budget of 1.6 million from the KFB (immediate predecessor), , , and other organizations. In the first five years of its existence, the CDU conducted 145 projects and graduated 28 students. Cooperation is strengthened by a temporary professorship funded by one of the CDUs partners.