The Transport Research Arena (TRA2024) rolls into Dublin from Monday-Thursday, April 15-18, this year.
By any standards, this will be an impressive occasion:
- It is a state event, hosted by the Department of Transport and the European Commission;
- The calibre of international industry leaders and thinkers giving keynote addresses is second-to-none;
- The sheer scale of the event is remarkable (more than 4,000 delegates, about 950 papers presented in more than 100 parallel scientific and technical sessions; demonstrations, innovation displays, international organisational and industry stands, etc.)
- The full spectrum of all transport is covered (road, rail, aviation, maritime, tunnelling, walking, cycling, bus, rail, light rail, metro) in one umbrella convention;
- The topics discussed are universal, relevant and current (safety, accessibility, sustainability, integration, resilience, etc.)
- The strategic sessions and special sessions are targeted at those in the front line of transport policy, provision and optimisation, with key thinkers and commercial champions discussing challenges and presenting opportunities in each transport mode
The full details of what is happening at TRA is constantly updated on http://traconference.eu/.
Opportunity not to be missed
But for Irish engineers across all disciplines, in private and public sector, TRA2024 is an opportunity not to be missed. There are very few engineers across all disciplines who are not already involved to some degree in transport planning, design, development, delivery, vehicle manufacture, systems development, real-time management, monitoring, integration, control and safety, passenger/user systems and interfaces, ticketing, financing, risk management, business development and collaboration, etc, within Irish and international transport.
The National Development Plan places transport in an elevated position in terms of enabling national aspirations and objectives. It is for this reason that the Department of Transport, supported by many other government departments, has brought the Transport Research Arena to Dublin this year. As engineers, it is our opportunity to:
- Check in on the current global issues facing our transport sectors;
- Inform ourselves of the latest research and emerging direction of industry trends;
- Participate in the discussions which will shape transport policies in light of the serious global challenges facing us all;
- Network with industry, research, professional and policy colleagues; and critically;
- Take time to broaden our horizons and allow new inspirations to inform our work.
TRA2024 and its co-located side events runs for four days. Each day has its own “theme” (across all transport modes) as follows:
- Day 1 Safe and Inclusive Transport
- Day 2 Sustainable Mobility of People and Goods
- Day 3 Efficient and Resilient Infrastructure
- Day 4 Collaborative Digitalisation
Engineers Ireland is supporting the TRA in recognition of the central role that TRA can have within the engineering profession. Transport is a national economic driver and a fascination to us all both as users and as professionals.
TRA2024 Dublin affords Irish engineers the opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of transport, at strategy, policy, tactical and research levels, under one roof, in the company of fellow professionals who are equally interested in transportation.
As engineers, we should be excited about what there is to learn about transport, especially in related areas where our exposure is limited. TRA2024 offers the opportunity to all professionals with any interest in transport and mobility to join in on the discussions and help each other face the challenges of today and shape the solutions of tomorrow.
Looking forward to seeing you all at TRA2024 in Dublin in April!