From 11 to 13 February 2025, Brussels hosted the highly anticipated RTR (Results from Road Transport Research) Conference, bringing together over 500 on-site participants and 400 online attendees. The conference showcased the latest R&I results in road transport, including infrastructure, road safety, decarbonisation, digitalisation, urban mobility, and freight and logistics—underlining the importance of collaborative research in shaping Europe’s transport future.
ReMuNet in Session 12:
ReMuNet was represented by Project Coordinators John von Stamm and Maximilian Dicks, who presented the project’s results, impact, and vision during Session 12: Sustainable and Resilient Freight Transport and Long-Haul Logistics. Their talk highlighted:
- The potential of AI to enhance transport logistics
- The critical role of data exchange and collaboration
- Scalability factors for digital platforms and servic
John von Stamm demonstrated the severe toll that supply chain disruptions take on the European economy, citing data on the rising frequency of these incidents and their associated costs in the Eurozone in recent years and also highlighted several opportunities uncovered by ReMuNet that could deepen insights into the effects of disruptions and support efforts to mitigate impacts and strengthen resilience.
An open discussion followed, emphasizing how ReMuNet’s innovations could help stakeholders build a more digital, collaborative, and sustainable European freight transport network.
During the event, ReMuNet strengthened ties with key EU projects such as KEYSTONE, SETO, SUM, TRACE and especially SARIL, considered ReMuNet’s sister project. Together with Corinna Köpke from Fraunhofer, ReMuNet and SARIL underlined their shared commitment to making European freight transportation safer, more resilient, and smarter. This partnership exemplifies the broader conference theme of “coordination”—highlighted as essential for accelerating the deployment of research outcomes at the European, national, and regional levels.
Conference Highlights:
High-level representatives from EU institutions—including Rosalinde van der Vlies (DG RTD), Pablo Perez-Illana (CINEA), and Erik von Breska (DG MOVE)—stressed the need for:
- Competitiveness, Affordability, Circularity, and Inclusiveness (CACI)
- Further communication of concrete research impacts
- Synergies by design among various funding programs
- Cross-border test beds to foster clean, connected, and automated vehicles
Circularity in the automotive sector also took center stage, with discussions on recycling, materials innovation, and building reliable value chains. The conference concluded with a reminder of the importance of coordinated efforts—among EU, national, and regional stakeholders—to expedite the transition from research to real-world implementation.
Funded by the European Union under GA number 101104072. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.