SHIFT²RAIL officially launched with other JTIs

The SHIFT²RAIL Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) has been officially launched, along with six other public private partnerships (PPPs) set up under Horizon 2020 at an event in Brussels.

SHIFT²RAIL, which was recently given final approval by the Council of the European Union, was represented by the CEO of Siemens’ Rail Systems Division, Dr Jochen Eickholt. Participating in a roundtable discussion with CEOs from the other research initiatives, he highlighted the great added value of the initiative for the rail sector and for the competitiveness of the EU economy.

Eickholt commented: “The SHIFT²RAIL Joint Undertaking is an unprecedented collaborative R&D effort made by the European rail industry and represents the culture of innovation that the rail sector needs. It has been designed not only to increase our industrial competitiveness worldwide but specifically to provide EU passengers and freight customers a quality paradigm shift for their transportation needs.”

The European Commission is currently working together with the other founders of SHIFT²RAIL to set up the Joint Undertaking which will invest €920m over six years into rail research.

The Association of the European Rail Industry (UNIFE) thanked the Commission for its support of the SHIFT²RAIL initiative.