IMIS at a glance

Innovation is essential to drive the integration of Europe’s transport systems and reach a single, multimodal, European transport network. However, several barriers still hinder the transition from research and innovation (R&I) to deployment. This „innovation gap“ not only implies direct losses of returns from the investment in research, but also an indirect loss in missed opportunities due to the continued inefficiencies and the non-implementation of innovation. To ensure the smooth deployment of the entire innovation chain it is essential to increase exchange of knowledge between R&I activities and implementation projects.

The European Commission’s Mobility and Transport DG has therefore initiated the pilot action IMIS (Towards a single and innovative European transport system: implementation of multimodal innovative solutions). The aim is to investigate ways to speed up the market uptake of R&I results in areas vital for a fully integrated transport system: multimodal hubs for freight and logistics.

IMIS specifically addresses multimodal hubs to help them matching their actual challenges and innovation needs with EU funded R&I projects‘ suitable innovative solutions. Up to three test cases (multimodal hubs) will be selected, studied and it will be demonstrated if and how innovation implementation can be speed up. The choice of multimodal freight hubs will consider the multimodal connection and integration of the transport infrastructure, as well as the impact that optimised logistic operations will have on regional traffic congestion, GHG emissions, competitiveness of logistics chains and well-being of the population resident in the surrounding area.

The outcomes of IMIS will be presented to the entire transport community, and beyond at the dedicated high level final conference, designed to ensure stakeholders‘ awareness and endorsement of the findings and proposed methodology.