The MOVE TOGETHER focus on urban transport research

Research is an important component of the EU policy on transport. The Framework Programmes represent the main vehicles for European research. Currently in its seventh programming phase, the engagement of the European Communities in Research dates back to the late 1980s, taking really off in the middle 1990s. The Sixth Framework Programme which delineates also the focus of the MOVE-TOGETHER project run for the period 2002-2006 (with some projects still ongoing till up to 2010).

The overall budget of the Sixth Framework Programme was 17.5 billion Euro, allocated primarily to finance research projects under several areas: life sciences, genomics and biotechnology; information society technologies; nanotechnologies and nanosciences; areonautics and space; food quality and safety; sustainable development, global change and ecosystems; citizens and governance in a knowledge-based society, research for policy support.

Transport research was funded primarily under the programme ‘surface transport’ (610 million) of the sustainable development thematic priority. Transport research relating to air transport was funded under the aeronautics priority (1075 million). Transport relevant research can also be found in part under the information technologies thematic priority as well as under the horizontal programme ‘policy support’ (555 million)

Urban transport is one of the strategic priorities of European transport research. True to its aim to support cities in the exchange of information and in learning from each other, the European Commission has been very keen to promote research projects and activities that bring together urban transport specialists and professionals with city officials, transport operators and citizen associations for engaging in experimental research, assessment studies and / or information sharing towards the development and demonstration of better local policies for dealing with the problems raised by urban transport.