Transport Research Arena 2024: advancing sustainable and inclusive mobility

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) took place 15 – 18 April in Dublin. TRA is one of the key European transport events, focusing on research and technology. The event covers all modes – road, rail, waterborne and air – and all aspects of mobility. Hosted by the Irish Department of Transport and co-organised by the European Commission, this year’s event welcomed around 4,000 visitors from Europe and beyond.

Under the theme “Transport Transitions: Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility”, discussions focused on innovations for more sustainable, as well as safer and more accessible, transport systems, prioritising the needs of all users.

Transformative times

The packed programme featured contributions from policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, researchers, and academics. Over four days, delegates had the opportunity to hear about the cutting-edge technology and ideas that will be central to how people and goods are moved in the years to come.

Addressing the opening session by video message, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture Education and Youth, Illiana Ivanova, spoke of the importance of innovation and research for shaping our future mobility.

“Our transport systems are on the brink of a transformative era…The EU, through programmes such as Horizon Europe, is leading the way towards a more connected, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly world.”

Several sessions were organised by the European Commission and the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), covering a broad range of topics from sustainable urban mobility and transport resilience to waterborne decarbonisation and green ports and airports.

As keynote speaker in a session on “Synergies to Deploy EU R&I”, CINEA Director, Paloma Aba Garrote underlined the critical role of EU funding programmes for transport, not only for research but also deployment:

"Green innovation and investment is in our DNA. We are uniquely positioned to help leverage the complementarities between EU transport funding from research to deployment, and also, to advise beneficiaries on how to take their solutions from inception to market implementation."

Projects and results on show

#TRA2004 also hosted an important exhibition area with both static and live demonstrations on the latest transport technologies and innovations. The joint European Commission stand, bringing together CINEA and several Commission departments – DG Research and Innovation (DG RTD), DG Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) – drew great interest.

Hundreds of people, including a VIP tour from Irish Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan and Director General of DG MOVE, Magda Kopczyńska, visited the projects on display ranging from an urban e-cargo trike to a self-charging drone. CINEA hosted two lunchtime sessions at the stand with project presentations on zero-emission vehicles and digital twins.

The research presented at TRA 2024 will serve as a catalyst, influencing policy decisions, supporting economic growth, shaping social development and technological advancements for carbon-free, accessible, and sustainable transport across all modes.

“Small keys can open big doors”

This ambition recalled the powerful speech at the opening session by Jack Kavanagh, a director of the Irish National Disability Authority, who was paralysed following a spinal cord injury while swimming on holiday in Portugal in 2012.

“I realised very quickly that the world was not flat, and it was full of barriers to entry,” he said. “The only important thing about design is how it relates to people...The environments around us make us and shape us; they enable or disable us.”

Addressing delegates, he said they had small keys that could be used to open big doors for those with disabilities by deploying a universal design approach, where “the normals are all of us”.

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