Open Access

Ian Faye, Oliver Lah, Gereon Meyer

• The paper delivers insights from the EU-funded FUTURE-HORIZON project, which systematically explored strategic international collaboration opportunities (INCO) in road transport research (RTR) between the European Union and global partners, the focus is on achieving long-term sustainability and optimizing collaboration efforts. In the form of country-specific fact sheets, the project showcased key stakeholders and research domains within established markets the paper offers insights into the main challenges and opportunities in the road transport sector and provides recommendations for systematic approach to identifying collaboration opportunities. A central feature of the reported work is an innovative SWOT analysis aiming at identifyingThe paper delivers insights from the EU-funded FUTURE-HORIZON project, which systematically explored strategic international collaboration opportunities (INCO) in road transport research (RTR) between the European Union and global partners, the focus is on achieving long-term sustainability and optimizing collaboration efforts. In the form of country-specific fact sheets, the project showcased key stakeholders and research domains within established markets the paper offers insights into the main challenges and opportunities in the road transport sector and provides recommendations for systematic approach to identifying collaboration opportunities. A central feature of the reported work is an innovative SWOT analysis aiming at identifying both opportunities and threats for potential collaboration between the European Union and other nations in RTR. Covering the areas of the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) Energy & Environment, Electrification, Urban Mobility, Freight & Logistics, Road Safety, and Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility, the analysis flips the logic of a traditional SWOT analysis by assessing opportunities and threats of collaboration caused by strengths and weaknesses of each country from an EU perspective and for specific examples. This paper shares select outcomes from international initiatives aiming to implement novel mobility solutions for demonstration and replication in partner cities around the world. Solutions span a range of innovative actions, including sharing systems, public transport, and city logistics, as well as energy and infrastructure requirements. This paper serves as an essential guide for dialogues on international collaboration in road transport research and offers direction for partnerships with both advanced and emerging economies.…