Transport Research Arena 2026: driving forward transport innovation in Europe

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) took place 15 - 18 April in Budapest. Hosted by the Hungarian Ministry of Construction and Transport and Hungarian Public Roads, and co-organised by the European Commission, the event covered all modes - road, rail, waterborne and air - and all aspects of mobility.

Under the theme "Re-Generation in Transport", this year's discussions focused on four key topics - user-centred mobility, green mobility and decarbonisation, resilient planning and operations, and transport digitalisation.

Climate-friendly, user-centred and competitive mobility

The packed programme featured contributions from policymakers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, researchers, and academia. Over four days, delegates had the opportunity to hear about the cutting-edge technology and ideas that will be central to improving connectivity, and the resilience and competitiveness of Europe's transport systems.

Addressing the opening session, Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General of DG Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), emphasised the importance of collaboration to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and drive Europe's transport transition forward:

"We already have strong demonstrators in areas like batteries, hydrogen mobility and sustainable fuels, but deployment is too slow. The priorities are clear: more investment certainty, faster permitting, simpler regulation, better access to finance and stronger coordination to enable rapid scale-up across Europe."

The European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) was actively involved in several sessions, covering a broad range of topics from transport infrastructure, climate-friendly aviation technologies to green ports and airports, and user-centred mobility.

Resilient and adaptive systems

As a speaker in a session on "Strategic imperatives for Europe's transport infrastructures", Head of Transport Research at CINEA, Ewa Ptaszyńksa, highlighted the growing need for resilient and adaptive transport systems in Europe. She noted that climate stress, ageing infrastructure, the energy transition, and digitalisation are creating increasingly interconnected and multi-hazard risks, requiring a shift from single-risk thinking to more adaptive approaches.

"Resilience is not about stronger concrete, but adaptive systems," she said, pointing to projects such as PLOTO for climate risk forecasting and Synchromode for AI-supported multimodal traffic management as examples of how resilience is becoming more predictive and data-driven. She also stressed that "resilience and competitiveness are not opposing objectives".

Projects and results on show

#TRA2026 also hosted an important exhibition area with both static and live demonstrations on the latest transport technologies and innovations. The joint European Commission stand, bringing together CINEA and several Commission departments - DG Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), DG Research and Innovation (DG RTD), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) - drew great interest.

As part of the VIP tour to the stand, Director General of DG MOVE, Magda Kopczyńska, and Clean Planet Director in DG RTD, Krysztof Kuik, visited the projects on display, which ranged from a megawatt charging hub to self-healing batteries. CINEA also hosted two lunchtime sessions at the stand with project presentations on climate-friendly aviation technologies and user-centred mobility systems.

Discover all the projects here.

Ports and airports: success stories in greening and digitalisation

The "EU Green Deal ports and airports" projects - STARGATE , TULIPS , OLGA , PIONEERS , and MAGPIE - were among the standout initiatives at TRA 2026, featured both in a dedicated session moderated by Ewa Ptaszyńska and during the "Seas to Skies" side event.

Working as two highly active project clusters, the initiatives demonstrated how coordinated EU action is accelerating the green and digital transition efforts of fellow ports and airports beyond the flagship projects themselves, through large-scale demonstrations, strategic cooperation, and practical solutions spanning alternative fuels, clean energy hubs, smart mobility, and digital operations.

Important legacy

As the projects approach their conclusion this year, discussions highlighted not only the innovations delivered, but also the strong cross-sector partnerships, replication potential, and strategic roadmaps created along the way. Together, the projects have strengthened the role of ports and airports as key enablers of innovation and climate-neutral transport across Europe, while providing valuable experience and inspiration for future initiatives to build upon.

More broadly, the research presented at TRA 2026 will serve as a catalyst, influencing policy decisions, supporting economic growth, shaping social development and technological advancements for more competitive, accessible, and sustainable mobility for all.

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