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Research and innovation

Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA)

STRIA priority areas, roadmaps and related links.

STRIA priorities

STRIA is the EU’s Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda. It sets out the areas where the EU needs to act in concertation with EU countries and stakeholders to radically change transport.

Seven roadmaps describe how to speed up work and deliver in the short and long term. They cover the following priorities

• electrification

• alternative fuels

• vehicle design and manufacturing

• connected and automated transport

• infrastructure

• network and traffic management systems

• smart mobility and services

All the roadmaps are contained in the document Towards clean, competitive and connected mobility. You can also download them individually in their sections below.

Electrification

Electrifying transport can help

  • break the sector's dependency on oil
  • cut CO2 emissions
  • make our cities less polluted

Generating decarbonised electricity will provide a cleaner way to propel electric vehicles. These vehicles can then provide storage services to the grid, helping further expand the use of renewable energy.

Finding better ways to store energy is a key aim: developing the next generation of batteries will speed up the electrification of road transport. 

Electrification roadmap

Alternative fuels

The proportion of alternative fuels in transport must rapidly increase to achieve decarbonisation goals and improve local air quality. Yet, the possibilities for using alternative fuels differ across transport modes.

Methane, liquid petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, liquid nitrogen gas, synthetic fuels, alcohols and ethers and esters - pose a number of provision and usage challenges.

Research and innovation will explore the best way to produce, distribute and use alternative fuels as well as their impact on transport systems and services.

Alternative fuel roadmap

Vehicle design and manufacturing

Vehicle design, development and manufacturing is a complex process covering the whole vehicle life cycle and is an essential part of keeping the EU transport industry competitive.

Ongoing research and innovation are needed to achieve marketable transport vehicles with shorter development times and time-to-market.

The global trend is towards the seamless integration of digital and physical vehicle design and manufacturing processes, tools and infrastructures.

Research and innovation will also help lessen vehicles’ lifecycle impact on the environment and achieve better energy use.

Vehicle design and manufacturing roadmap

Connected and automated transport

Connected and automated vehicles can

  • improve traffic flows
  • optimise the use of infrastructure
  • lower noise and pollution levels 
  • make public transport safer and more attractive to passengers

Although several pilots are taking place in Europe, a number of technical and legislative challenges still need to be resolved before large-scale roll out can happen. These include the regulatory framework, cybersecurity issues, social acceptance, human-machine interaction and new business models.

Connected and automated transport roadmap

Infrastructure

The way infrastructure is designed and operated can vastly improve 

  • efficiency 
  • safety and security 
  • reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Issues covered in the roadmap include governance, pricing and charging, integration and interoperability and lifecycle optimisation.

Transport infrastructure roadmap 

Network and traffic management systems

Network and traffic management systems make the whole transport network run more smoothly across modes. Digital technologies can influence real-time demand by encouraging people to travel off-peak and use alternative routes. Fewer traffic jams mean lower emissions and less impact on the environment.

Network and traffic management systems roadmap  

Smart transport and mobility services

Smart mobility systems and services can help decarbonise transport. Changes in people's travel behaviour and lifestyles are giving rise to new business models, services and markets, which is opening up new opportunities for sustainable mobility.

The transport and mobility services of the future need to be embedded in wider smart and sustainable city strategies aimed at increasing urban resource efficiency and decarbonisation.

Smart transport and mobility services roadmap