#RTR2026: Collaboration driving innovation in Europe’s road transport system

The 2026 Results from Road Transport Research (RTR) Conference confirmed its role as Europe's key gathering for road transport innovation. Held in Brussels on 10-12 February 2026, the event attracted around 500 participants, with results from almost 100 Horizon Europe transport projects taking centre stage.

Across 32 sessions, projects presented concrete advances in decarbonisation, automated mobility, digitalisation, road safety, electric vehicles, urban mobility, infrastructure and logistics - reflecting the breadth and maturity of Europe's road transport R&I ecosystem.

Co-organised by the European Commission together with the Towards Zero Emissions Road Transport (2Zero) and Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility Association (CCAM) partnerships, the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC ), and with the support of the BATT4EU partnership , RTR brings together all major road transport-related stakeholders. CINEA has been closely involved since the beginning - as a member of the organising committee and through active participation of colleagues as speakers and moderators.

Transport innovation is about the whole system

Speaking at the conference opening session, Ewa Ptaszyńska, Head of CINEA's Transport Research Unit, underlined the strength and ambition of CINEA's transport research portfolio, emphasising that Horizon Europe transport R&I delivers system-level value. Deployment works best when vehicles, infrastructure, data, regulation and investment are addressed together - a systemic perspective that was one of the key takeaways of #RTR2026.

She highlighted that transport innovation cannot rely on vehicle technology alone. It requires smart physical and digital infrastructure, interoperable data ecosystems, multimodal logistics, real-time traffic management and integrated urban mobility solutions. Addressing these elements together is essential to building a sustainable, efficient and resilient transport system.

"These projects go beyond research for research's sake. They deliver tangible, fit-for-deployment solutions - from smart and resilient infrastructure to data-driven traffic management and efficient logistics," said Ms Ptaszyńska, emphasising the practical impact of the EU investment.

From research to market: bridging the gap

A central discussion in the plenary session "From research to market: how to bridge the gap?" focused on Europe's need to actively address innovation "death valleys".

Research creates solutions - but too often promising results struggle to reach market uptake and large-scale deployment. Bridging this gap requires better alignment between R&I funding and public and private investment, stronger synergies with other EU programmes, and closer coordination at national and regional level. As Europe enters the final phase of Horizon Europe, connecting research outcomes to financing instruments and real-world implementation becomes essential.

Collaboration as a competitive advantage

#RTR2026 once again demonstrated the value of EU-funded collaboration. By bringing together industry, research organisations, public authorities and mobility stakeholders in cross-border consortia, European programmes enable systemic innovation - combining complementary expertise and fostering mutual learning across sectors, disciplines and countries. This exchange of knowledge and perspectives is what turns individual project results into stronger, more coherent solutions for Europe.

The message from this year's conference is clear: Europe has the knowledge, the projects and the partnerships. The priority now is to accelerate deployment - turning research results into real-world impact.

As the Agency managing programmes across the full innovation cycle,from Horizon Europe research to scaling up technologies through the Innovation Fund and the infrastructure deployment through the Connecting Europe Facility,CINEA is uniquely placed to connect funding and bridge financing gaps. It supports innovations from research to deployment, helping Europe build a smarter, safer, more inclusive and more competitive road transport system.

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Event website (official event report and recordings available soon)