ETNA PLUS · European Transport Network Alliance

The European Transport Network Alliance-ETNA Plus-is a 3 year coordination action that will build upon the activities and knowledge acquired in the ongoing project European Transport NCP Alliance (ETNA) with a new and wider approach reflecting the new political context and the priority given to Europe 2020 and to the Horizon 2020 objectives. It will also take advantage of the positive results of TransNEW and MARKET-UP FP7 projects and, to avoid duplication of efforts, will make use of existing data and information, collaborating with the TRKC (Transport Knowledge Research Centre) and CORDIS PS.The overall objective of ETNA Plus is to foster innovation in trans-national cooperation in Transport with a focus on promoting the active participation of new actors and regions in EU research calls and projects. Transport NCPs will be key players in this mechanism, but their role will be complemented and enhanced thanks to the contribution of other relevant stakeholders, which will bring to the project a real added value both in terms of knowledge and expertise.ETNA Plus will also seek the active involvement of 56 Associated Partners (APs) nominated officially as Transport NCPs.ETNA Plus will target transnational cooperation through different activities, following a two-fold approach; on one side, specific initiatives to raise awareness on the EU transport R&I landscape will be carried out, on the other side, efforts to improve the level of expertise on EU funding (e.g. Horizon 2020) will be undertaken both at NCP and researcher level.To this end, the proposal foresees: the development of a web tool on EU funding opportunities, both public and private; an analysis of innovation strategies implemented in the industrialized Countries; the support to stakeholders to build trans-national consortia and the reinforcement of Transport NCPs’ and researchers’ expertise through ad hoc training and twinning measures; networking with other initiatives relevant to transport R