SIMBA sets the scene for increased international transport cooperation

Date: 13 June 2006

Road transport stakeholders from China, Brazil, South Africa and India met with their European counterparts in Brussels on 6 May for the SIMBA project’s first Steering Committee meeting, setting out a roadmap for future road transport cooperation between the four nations and Europe.

Supported by the European Commission and coordinated by ERTICO, SIMBA seeks to create an international cooperation network aimed at increasing road safety, mobility and transport efficiency.

The Steering Committee meeting proved an excellent starting point, giving participants a good understanding of the latest road transport developments in Europe and the emerging markets of Brazil, China, India and South Africa.

Participants included the SIMBA National Coordinators - Associacao Brasileira de Engenharia Automotiva (AEA) from Brazil, ITS China (ITSC), the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Infrastructure System Operations and ITS Laboratory (CSIR) from South Africa – as well as the European Partners  - Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL), European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA/EUCAR) and ITS Denmark (ITSD).

The European Commission was also present, and Patrick Mercier-Handisyde, the project officer for SIMBA from the Directorate General for Research, gave a welcome speech. Ms Ines Minguez, also representing the Commission, gave a presentation about International Scientific Cooperation in the Seventh Framework Programme for Research.

ERTICO, EUCAR and FEHRL gave presentations on European road transport developments and ITS priorities in the automotive and infrastructure field. National coordinators introduced the state-of-the-art of road transport in their countries and their priorities in these three areas.

For more information, please visit the SIMBA website or contact Project Coordinator Julia Wu.