Innovative transport systems

I-Trans, innovation at the heart of transport

By generating innovative projects based on a collective strategy and labelling projects initiated by companies, laboratories or research centres, as well as being involved in the mobilisation of public and private funds, the i-Trans competitiveness cluster created an impetus of innovation and investment in the overland transport sector.

Regions acknowledged for their industrial and scientific skills in such sectors as logistics, railways, automobile and intelligent transport systems, Nord-Pas de Calais and Picardie have the necessary expertise and in 2005 their common territory was labelled the i-Trans competitiveness cluster.

It is the ambition of i-Trans to create the first European cluster with the worldwide aim of designing, building, operating and maintaining innovative overland transport systems in terms of market share, innovation, growth and attractiveness.

A project plant

The I-Trans cluster has a well oiled mechanism to help unveil projects that form part of four areas of activity:

• inter-operability for the railway sector,
• intermodality for freight or passenger transport,
• Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS),
• innovation to stimulate economic development

For example, if a company approaches I-Trans to bring an idea to fruition, the cluster helps it to set up a project consortium involving the company in question and a laboratory.
The administrative board of the cluster then decides on the project label, thereby making it easier to obtain public funding, based on the centre’s label reputation.

Key figures (2008)

• 55 labelled projects, 42 of which are funded (grants of 36 million €)
• 6 structural projects (test platforms and attractiveness areas)
• 10 labelled training sessions
• 175 players involved in the projects
• 500 jobs created by the cluster players

>> CONTACT :

Chantal SERGENT
Phone: + 33 (0) 327 190 010

www.i-trans.org