Our transport systems are becoming increasingly digitalised, and this is occurring in a time when society expects our mobility services to continuously improve. Advances in areas such as passive, active & tertiary safety, human-machine interfaces & technological integration and autonomous vehicle risk assessment must ensure very high safety levels for a more inclusive & safer transport system.

Supply chain emissions are a challenge for all sectors and solutions are needed to support the transition to zero emissions logistics. Interconnectivity between long-distance and ‘first and last mile’ connections is critical for efficient freight transport, as are advances in freight intermodality, load optimisation processes and energy-efficient fleets.

Creating resilient, multi-modal infrastructure is essential for society, and it must now respond to a diverse range of hazards. Key to their continued functioning is predictive maintenance and autonomous monitoring offers new ways forward. In other cases, the use of nature-based solutions or advanced materials offer alternative approaches to deploy and manage infrastructure.

In recent years transport infrastructures and networks have been subjected to increased threats that pose severe challenges on the way infrastructure and networks are managed and operated. Moreover, the fast development in IT technology and widescale application across transport operations and management is on one side enabling a digital transformation, and on the other hand increasing the threats the transport network might be exposed to. In this sense how to find a balance among the introduction of innovative IT-based technologies and solutions (e.g. digital twins, AI-based inspections, etc.) and the new threats (e.g. cyber and man-made in terms of sabotages and intentional actions) that from their massive use might arise is a key topic to be further elaborated and discussed.

The circular economy is a core element of the European Green Deal and an essential component in our efforts to reduce pressure on natural resources. Successful implementation requires the application of circular economy principles to all steps in the value chain, for all components of the transport system (vehicles, batteries, fuels, infrastructure etc). Innovative sustainable procurement processes are increasingly required, and life cycle assessments will play a key role in their use.

Energy is a critical element for a resilient transport system, and the transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable sources of energy is a major technical challenge. Significant hurdles will include sufficient charging & refuelling infrastructures and advances in battery technology for electric vehicles, the development of sustainable alternative fuels such as hydrogen and other technological advances in waterborne, aviation and in high-speed rail across Europe.

Digitalisation is driving the transition to smart mobility, enabled by advances in AI, the internet of things (IoT) and data science. This is opening up new possibilities as digital twins and blockchain can support more efficient logistics operations, and new solutions for mobility of people.

The sharing of data is opening up new opportunities for business and society to utilise the large amounts of data generated across modes and sectors (including energy). Public authorities & businesses need access to data for planning & monitoring. This requires new solutions to address issues of data governance and European data regulations seek to create a single market for data that will work with GDPR requirements and the future European mobility data space. This approach is in agreement with the principles of open science, while cybersecurity remains an ongoing challenge.

Advances in autonomous mobility are having transformative effects in all transport modes. Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) exploits the connectivity between road vehicles / bikes / aircraft / trains / vessels and with infrastructure, seeking to address traffic safety and reduce both congestion and GHG emissions. In related fields, we are also seeing advances in urban air mobility, and automated terminal operations, new mobility services and logistics.

The digital transition will place significant emphasis on the supporting digital infrastructure, with connectivity to 5G a key issue. This connectivity underpins smart infrastructure, enabling sensor-based monitoring, digital twins and the physical internet. The advent of 6G will have a transformative effect for future transport systems.