Author Description

The Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) is the analytical support tool for the establishment and implementation of the Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA), and is the European Commission's (EC) instrument for mapping transport technology trends and research and innovation capacities. Seven STRIA Roadmaps have been developed which cover various thematic areas. TRIMIS provides periodical assessments of transport research and development (R&D) for the various thematic areas. This report cuts through the STRIA Roadmaps and provides a macro-level assessment of the overall innovation capacity in the European transport sector. It does so by identifying and assessing the most relevant indicators on private and public funding, R&D personnel and researchers, engagement in innovation and on the types of innovation activities at the EU and Member State level. The findings highlight the importance of R&D activities in the European transport sector. Innovation levels were found to be particularly high in the automotive manufacturing economic activities. On the lower end the transportation and storage economic activities are found. The level of private investments in R&D has increased over the past seven years, making the transport sector with €42 billion a leader in investment in Europe in 2015. Business R&D expenditure has risen with the automotive industry leading this trend and accounting for more than 75% of the total business investments. Public support to R&D transport reached €3.3 billion in 2017, showing a moderate increase compared to the year 2016. Transport companies are highly committed to innovation activities. This is mostly the case for manufacturing firms, with almost 60% of these declaring that they invest in R&D activities. The analysis of human resources employed in transport R&D found that most R&D personnel is employed in the automotive industry, accounting for almost 70% of the total number of 2