Country Overviews
ITALY
IntroductionNational Government Departments and Agencies
Research Organisations
See Programmes
Introduction
In the past, transport research was planned by MURST, the former Ministry of Universities and Research, and was managed mainly by the National Research Council (CNR), which was responsible for the preparation of feasibility studies and for the coordination of targeted programmes.
After the completion, in 1999, of the Second Targeted Programme on Transport (PFT2) managed by CNR, research on transport has been carried out under the aegis of different initiatives. A framework is provided by the research priorities highlighted in the 2001 National Master Plan on Transport (PGT).
The Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) has provided financial support to undertake fundamental and industrial research in different transport areas. Recently, MIUR has provided within the National Research Programme 2005-2007 financial support for large projects in strategic sectors including the motor industry, shipping and aeronautics, logistics and info-mobility. The Ministry of Economic Development has also provided financial support for large research projects within the "Industry 2015" programme. Areas covered include vehicle innovation, logistics, info-mobility and intermodality.
The Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and the Ministry of Environment and of Territory and Sea Protection have funded specific projects, respectively for the development of the general mobility plan and in the area of sustainable urban mobility. A number of institutions representing associations of infrastructure and service providers and bank foundations also support research in the transport sector.
Among the public bodies involved in conducting research activities are the National Energy Agency (ENEA) and the National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT). In addition, universities and a few institutes of the CNR carry out programmes of more fundamental research. A few major institutions in the industrial sector (CRF, Elasis, CETENA and CIRA) also contribute extensively to research, especially on vehicles, info-mobility, vessels and aircraft.
National Government Departments and Agencies
Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) / Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca
Ministry of Economic Development / Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport (MIT) / Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti
Ministry of Environment and of Territory and Sea Protection / Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare
National Research Council (CNR) / Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment (ENEA) / Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente
National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) / Istituto Nazionale di Statistica
PRIN - Research Projects of National Relevance / Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale
Led by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) the programme provides funding to research proposals from universities. Since 1999, there have been calls each year with about 80 projects related to transport having been funded. Areas covered include civil engineering and architecture, industrial and information engineering, economics and statistics.
http://prin.miur.it
PNR 2005-2007 - National Research Programme / Programma Nazionale della Ricerca 2005-2007
Led by MIUR, provides an umbrella framework which sets research priorities and actions. Large research projects have been funded in sectors recognised as strategic. Participants include industry and public research institutions. Priority areas related to transport include propulsion for road vehicles, shipping, aeronautics and helicopters, transport and info-mobility, and logistics. 31 transport projects have been funded.
www.ricercaitaliana.it/pnr_doc.htm
FIRB - Fund for Investments in Fundamental Research / Fondo per gli Investimenti della Ricerca di Base
Led by MIUR, provides funding, with calls each year, to fundamental research carried out by universities and public research bodies. Projects funded in the transport area deal with simulation and optimisation methods for network design and management, and vehicle routing and scheduling. The last call of 2008 was restricted to proposals led by young researchers.
http://futuroinricerca.miur.it
Industry 2015 - Sustainable Mobility / Industria 2015 - Mobilità sostenibile
Led by the Ministry of Economic Development provides funding to industry for technological innovation in the area of sustainable mobility. 22 projects have been funded to start in 2009. Projects relate to road vehicle and train innovation, info-mobility, intermodality and logistics.
www.industria2015.ipi.it/?id=13
PFT2 - Second Targeted Programme on Transport / Progetto Finalizzato Trasporti 2
Led by the National Research Council (CNR) this large programme was completed in 1999. It provided approximately 60 products in 6 sub-programmes which addressed planning tools, vehicle and infrastructure technologies, urban transport, freight transport and telematics.
FAR - Fund for Research Facilitation / Fondo per le Agevolazioni alla Ricerca
Led by MIUR this provides funding to industrial and pre-competitive research proposals. It covers infrastructure and vehicle technologies in air, land and waterborne transport. Projects in the Southern Regions are funded as part of the National Operational Plan (PON).
PSN - National Aero-Space Plan / Piano Aero-Spaziale Nazionale
Issued periodically by MIUR; strategic guidelines for national activities in the sector, in particular for the Agenzia Spaziale Italian (ASI, Italian Space Agency). Includes transport application products of telecommunication and navigation technologies. Galileo and safety applications are covered.
www.asi.it/files/20060803115700Executive_Summary_0.pdf
PGT - Master Plan of Transport and Logistics / Piano Generale dei Trasporti e della Logistica
Issued by the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport (MIT) in 2001, this master plan set policy priorities, addressing also technological innovation and research.
General Mobility Plan / Piano Generale della Mobilità
The guidelines of the General Mobility Plan have been issued by MIT in 2007. Contextually the Ministry has sponsored studies covering different segments of mobility including commuting, medium-distance and urban transport, and problem areas such as airports, energy consumption and environmental protection, intermodal transport, local public transport.
National Road Safety Plan / Piano Nazionale della Sicurezza Stradale (PNSS)
Issued by MIT in 2001, this plan has identified priority actions, including topics for investigation. Pilot projects have been funded. Funding of other projects is under way within the annual actuation programmes.
ARTIST - Italian Telematics Architecture for the Transport System / Architettura Telematica Italiana per il Sistema dei Trasporti
Led by MIT, this has produced the architectural reference framework, and included working groups and pilot projects.
SIMPT - Information System for Transport Monitoring and Planning / Sistema Informativo per il Monitoraggio e la Pianificazione del Sistema di Trasporto Italiano
Led by MIT, provides ongoing updating and refinement of data and models.
Ministry of Environment and of Territory and Sea Protection / Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare
Has sponsored various targeted demonstrations of innovative urban transport systems for sustainable mobility, including city logistics, bike sharing, mobility management, on-demand public transport, info-mobility.
ENEA - National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment / Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente
Various activities in the areas of urban mobility, vehicle technologies and transport safety.
ISTAT - National Institute for Statistics / Istituto Nazionale di Statistica
Various R&D activities including definition of indicators with related database development, and development of a telematics network for firm-level data collection.
Research Organisations
CETENA - Ship Research Centre / Centro per gli Studi di Tecnica Navale
Various activities in the maritime field, particularly shipbuilding and marine propulsion.
www.cetena.it
CIRA - Italian Aero-Space Research Centre / Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali
Various R&D activities in aeronautics, and implementation and management of large functional facilities and laboratories.
www.cira.it
ELASIS
Various R&D activities in the road sector, mainly in the product and process innovation, vehicle and propulsion systems, mobility planning and management tools, safety.
www.elasis.it
ISFORT - High Institute for Transport Education and Research / Istituto Superiore di Formazione e Ricerca per i Trasporti
Various research activities in the areas of transport demand, local public transport, logistics, organisational issues in firms, policy and assessment.
www.isfort.it
