Country Overviews
THE NETHERLANDS
IntroductionNational Government Departments and Agencies
Research Organisations and Programmes
See Programmes
Introduction
Transport research in the Netherlands falls mainly under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. The programming mechanism is an annual prioritisation and budget allocation at the level of different policy sectors of the ministry. The two most important divisions regarding transport research funding are the Directorate-General for Mobility and the Directorate-General for Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs.
Research priorities are safety (reducing road casualties, social safety in public transport), networks (better use, improving modal choice, pricing, etc.), customer orientation in public transport and sustainability (air quality, noise, etc.). The implementation and outsourcing of the research programmes in the field of surface transport is carried out mainly through the Knowledge Institute for Mobility (KiM - formerly AVV).
Other entities are Connekt and SenterNovem. Connekt is a public-private knowledge network. Its most important aim is 'to contribute to knowledge' which should lead to the implementation of innovative solutions for traffic and transport problems and thereby strengthen the position of the Netherlands in this field. SenterNovem is an agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs focusing on sustainability and innovation aspects. It brings together the former agencies for Sustainable Development and International Cooperation (Senter) and for Energy and the Environment (Novem).
For safety research, there is the Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV). For research into road construction and traffic engineering there is the CROW, the Information and Technology centre for Transport and Infrastructure. RIVM focuses on environmental aspects (for different sectors, including transport), while Nirov focuses on accessibility and spatial planning, and PBL covers both environmental and spatial issues.
National Government Departments and Agencies
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management / Ministerie van Verkeer en Waterstaat www.minvenw.nl
KiM - Knowledge Institute for Mobility / Kennisinstituut voor Mobiliteitsbeleid
Ministry of Economic Affairs / Ministerie van Economische Zaken
SenterNovem - Professionals in sustainability and innovation (Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs) / SenterNovem - Agentschap voor duurzaamheid en innovatie
Dutch Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) / Centraal Planbureau
Bureau of Statistics / Centraal bureau voor de statistiek
DGMo - Directorate-General for Mobility / Directoraat Generaal Mobiliteit
Annual prioritisation and budget allocation within the Ministry of Transport.
DGLM - Directorate-General for Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs / Directoraat Generaal Luchtvaart en Maritieme zaken
Annual prioritisation and budget allocation within the Ministry of Transport.
Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management / Directoraat Rijkswaterstaat
The research budget of this DG is generally allocated at project level and linked to implementation issues. The "Wegen naar de toekomst" (roads to the future) programme is managed by this DG.
Roads to the Future Programme / Programma "Wegen naar de toekomst"
This programme looks at innovative solutions to traffic problems.
EBIT - Energy Saving in Transport / Energie Besparing in Transport
Programme led by SenterNovem.
Peak - Reducing Noise in Transport / PIEK
Programme led by SenterNovem.
Economy, Ecology and Technology (E.E.T) / Economie, Ecologie en Technologie (E.E.T.)
Long-term technology research projects with one key action on transport. Programme led by SenterNovem.
Technology Cooperation / Technologische Samenwerking (TS)
Economic feasible technology innovations by (inter)national cooperation. Programme led by SenterNovem
www.senternovem.nl/technologischesamenwerking
Transaction / Modal Shift / TMS - Transactie Modal Shift
Programme led by SenterNovem.
Transport Reduction / Transportbesparing
Innovations with the aims of reducing transport kilometres. Led by SenterNovem.
www.senternovem.nl/transportbesparing
OEEI - Programme on the Economic Effects of Infrastructure / Onderzoeksprogramma Economische Effecten Infrastructuur
OEEI is a completed programme that has been undertaken by the Dutch Bureau of Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). Its focal point was to design a standard appraisal method based on Cost-Benefit Analysis for (large) infrastructure projects.
Research Organisations and Programmes
Connekt (the Public-Private Innovation Network for Traffic and Transport) / Connekt (het innovatienetwerk voor verkeer en vervoer)
Connekt is the Dutch network of public, private and scientific parties involved in optimising traffic and transport. Topics include "Land-side accessibility of main ports", ITS, "Traffic and transport management", Intermodality, and "Innovative governance".
www.connekt.nl
TRAIL - The Netherlands Research School for Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics
Research school in which several universities take part and that conducts fundamental research. Examples are: freight transport automation and multimodality, seamless multimodal mobility, behavioural aspects of transport automation, chain management and control, comprehensive transport safety, dynamic traffic control, logistic process control, planning and maintenance of infrastructure, and transport policy analysis.
www.rstrail.nl
RIVM - Environmental Risk and Safety Division
The Environmental Risk and Safety Division of RIVM (the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) offers advanced and reliable knowledge and expertise on environmental risks due to physical, chemical and biological agents. It also focuses on safety and emergencies (e.g. offering a 24-hour service), enabling the organisations it works for to identify relevant issues and to handle them efficiently and effectively.
www.rivm.nl
TNO - Mobility / TNO - Mobiliteit
TNO (the Dutch Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) responds to the constantly changing demand for mobility solutions through innovation in the field of environment, safety and improved traffic flow. New solutions derive from multidisciplinary expertise in, and vision on mobility: reliability, ICT driven innovation and clean engineering. TNO's work covers a wide horizon in the world of mobility and we provide customers with a broad view of this world: from concept to implementation, from infrastructure to vehicle and from engineering to utilisation – at the crossroads where the road, car and people meet.
www.tno.nl/mobility
PBL - Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency / Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving
Analyses spatial and social developments in (inter)national contexts, which are important to the human, plant and animal environment. It conducts scientific assessments and policy evaluations, relevant to strategic government policy.
www.pbl.nl
Prorail
Governmental organisation that manages the rail infrastructure. Delivers information services, as well as rail and transfer capacity services that are reliable and safe. Research projects support this aim as well as investigation into other mobility questions.
www.prorail.nl
NLR - National Aerospace Laboratory / Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimvaartlaboratorium
NLR is an independent non-profit research institute based in the Netherlands that carries out aerospace-related contract research for national and international customers.
www.nlr.nl
Nirov - The Dutch Institute of Housing and Planning / Nederlands Instituut voor Ruimtelijke Ordening en Volkshuisvesting
NIROV works to maintain and improve standards in planning policy and practice in the Netherlands and is increasingly active within international networks.
www.nirov.nl
CROW Programme (Information and Technology Centre for Transport and Infrastructure) / CROW-programma (Kenniscentrum voor verkeer, vervoer en infrastructuur)
Main topics are research into road construction and traffic engineering.
www.crow.nl
SWOV Programme (Institute for Road Safety Research) / SWOV-programma (Stichitng Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Verkeersveiligheid)
The Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) is responsible for research and dissemination of safety research. SWOV's research has a fundamental character. The main subjects of the 2003-2006 programme are anticipatory research, planning office research and knowledge management. Specific research will be done on road safety analyses, road safety prognoses, infrastructure and traffic risk/safety, analysis of speed and speed control measurements, recognisable layout of roads and predictable behaviour, novice drivers and driver training, effects of education and information, and decision making and management.
www.swov.nl
NWO-Connekt
The NWO-Connekt programme focused on long-term research, with a tendency for fundamental research. Sub-programmes were: Advanced multi-agent control and information for integrated multi-class traffic networks (AMICI); Behavioural Analysis and Modelling for the design and implementation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (BAMADAS); Behavioural aspects of a Personal Intelligent Travel Assistant (PITA); A Multi-disciplinary study of pricing policies in transport (MD-PIT); and Railway Stations: Interfaces between Railway Network Developments and Urban Dynamics. It is led by NWO (the Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research) and Connekt.
www.nwo.nl
Transumo
Transport research programme on Transition to Sustainable Mobility. Research themes cover both passengers and goods. Focus is on transition aspects of innovations. New forms of cooperation between governments, research institutes and companies are set up in this programme.
www.transumo.nl
