Achieving a well integrated, optimal performing transport infrastructure network in Europe is a key element in the White Paper on Transport’s overall ambition for a single European Transport Area in 2050. As such it complements and supports the pillars on efficient and sustainable transport means and operations. The required integration and enhancement of the European transport infrastructure networks needs a shift towards next levels of governance capabilities that can adequately address the key societal challenges. In the framework of this CSA on a life cycle based asset management approach for transport infrastructure networks, these challenges are related to: An unprecedented call for network capacity and performance An unprecedented call for transparent, coherent and consistent decision making on cost-performance The (mostly public) financing of the transport infrastructure system has met with concrete fiscal limits. Already in many countries in the EU, this has led to a backlog in maintenance and replacement. Unless decisive actions are taken on network construction, maintenance and operations, this trend will result in mounting congestion losses in the economic powerhouses on the short term and to prohibitive obstructions in transport flows across the European transport network on the medium term. This calls for cross asset, cross modal and cross border decision making by the appropriate authorities, implying their close coordination and collaboration. The precondition for this is transparency to each other as well as to policy and society. This requires them to share a common vision and objectives, in a common language and from a common information base. The governance challenge is to provide the key stakeholders in the infrastructure governance with appropriate data, methods and tools in order to enable their decision making on cost-performance to be transparent, coherent and consistent across the assets, across the modes, and across the borders.

The main objectives of the BISON project are: ● To identify future research and innovation needs for a better integration of biodiversity with infrastructure planning, construction, operation and decommissioning. The project will develop a Strategic Research and Deployment Agenda (SRDA) which can be deployed at multiple scales, within the EU research framework programme, or by other regional, national or local programmes, in order to improve the knowledge-base on infrastructure and biodiversity. ● To make linear infrastructure more high performing and reliable while taking into account the specific needs of Western and Eastern Europe. In Western Europe, there is an increasing need to adapt existing long-lived infrastructure to new climate conditions, as well as finding innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the impact of invasive species and support declining native species, while in Eastern Europe, there is significant land-use change and habitat fragmentation due to the surge in infrastructure developments to provide economic opportunities that are threatening the local, and very often endemic biodiversity. The project will identify the construction, maintenance and inspection methods and materials which are long-lasting and resilient and can be used by different transport modes to mitigate pressure on biodiversity. ● Support European Member States to fulfill their international commitments by engaging all stakeholders into biodiversity mainstreaming for infrastructure planning and development. It will do so by providing recommendations to minimise the impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity through supporting existing and developing projects. ● Support European Member States to become political leaders through collaboration and support of European research institutions and infrastructure operators, and providing more sustainability at the international level through jointly addressing biodiversity and infrastructure challenges.

infra4Dfuture will develop a demand-driven overarching strategy and coordination mechanism for the modernization of transport infrastructure including a shared strategic vision on future infrastructure capabilities and common pathways for innovation development and implementation. Facing a variety of emerging challenges, such as climate change, resilience, ageing infrastructure, maintenance, digitalisation, automation, energy and electrification, the National Transport Infrastructure Authorities (NTIA) have urgent requirements for infrastructure innovation. In view of the long cycle times in infrastructure management and the rapid mounting pressure from these challenges, there is a need for fast delivery of ready-to-implement, cost-effective innovative solutions matching the requirements of the NTIA that jointly build the TEN-T network. The infra4Dfuture consortium encompasses 20 partners from 17 countries, 19 of them being NTIA, joining forces to develop: • a strategic coordination mechanism aiming to deliver a concerted cooperation and collaboration across a portfolio of relevant European and national innovation programmes and initiatives; • a shared strategic vision on future infrastructure capabilities, each capability encompassing a series of innovation focus areas for innovation. infra4Dfuture is based on a sound and coherent consultation and dialogue process with relevant stakeholders. This process will be structured in a sequence of strategic, decision-making conferences and a supporting, tactical sequence of expert workshops and regional events. These will culminate in the founding of the infra4Dfuture Stakeholder Platform for Infrastructure Innovation and Implementation (ISPIII) at the TRA 2020. ISPIII will ensure a continuance of the coordination mechanism and shared vision beyond the duration of the action. Follow-up ISPIII events will take place at the consecutive biannual TRA conferences.

The overall objective of CIRCUIT is to develop a holistic approach supported by digital solutions and guidelines to foster the introduction of innovative engineering practices in the whole construction supply/value chain to foster The overall objective of CIRCUIT is to develop a holistic approach supported by digital solutions and guidelines to foster the introduction of innovative engineering practices in the whole construction supply/value chain enabling circular, sustainable resilient and smart transport infrastructure and a wider deployment of Green Public and Innovation Procurement. This will be achieved by: i. developing and deploying an innovative open-source digital platform (with advanced Circularity analytics and Supply/value chain matchmaking tools) interoperable with traditional engineering/design (BIM, Digital Twinm LCC, LCA) and traffic simulation tools; ii. introducing modular solutions, ecodesign and reusing concepts as alternative to traditional designs; iii. maximizing the use of biobased, Secondary Raw Materials (SRM) and Secondary Construction Elements (SCE) as alternative to traditional ones; iv. including in the decision making process of transport infrastructures design and route planning, information from updated traffic simulation tools to reduce incidents, accidents, congestion and future scenarios with autonomous vehicles). New elements and technologies for Circular, Smart, Resilient and Sustainable transport will be included in the design process to facilitate infrastructures upgrading and a quick adaptation to smart mobility and operations. CIRCUIT will also provide knowledge and technical solutions by exploiting the potential of four strategic pillars: Digitalisation, Recycle, Reuse and Energy. Different technologies will be validated in each of the pillars to deliver a holistic approach suitable for different transport modes, the urban and interurban environment, and the different stages of the life cycle of infrastructures.