ITRL Partners Sign Extension Agreement to Lead the Future of Sustainable Transport
The Integrated Transport Research Lab (ITRL) has been extended for another four years. KTH and its strategic partners, Scania and Region Stockholm, together with Trafikverket, are thereby renewing their collaborative effort to lead the transition towards a sustainable, inclusive, and efficient transport ecosystem. On September 17, the partners met at KTH to sign an agreement for the next phase.
The Integrated Transport Research Lab (ITRL) is excited to announce that its key partners — KTH, Scania, and Region Stockholm — have signed a new four-year extension agreement for the operation of the center. In addition, Trafikverket supports ITRL as adjunct partner. The signing ceremony, held at the KTH campus, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between academia, industry, and public sector stakeholders.
“The extension of ITRL reaffirms the industrial and societal relevance of our research”, says Jonas Mårtensson, director of ITRL and professor at the Division of Decision and Control Systems at KTH, “Together with our partners, we address both the technical and societal dimensions of sustainable transport systems with an integrated holistic approach.”
By continuing this collaboration, the partners demonstrate their dedication to addressing the complex, interconnected challenges that define modern transport.
“The launch of ITRL 2.0 represents a significant step in our journey towards a sustainable transport system. By leveraging the insights and strengths we’ve developed over the past decade, and with a renewed focus and enhanced organization, we are prepared to make a greater impact through our research.” says Sara Forsberg, Chief Technical Officer at Scania, “The true power of ITRL lies in its interdisciplinary, public-private partnership. By uniting diverse actors and expertise, we are able to generate new knowledge and co-create innovative solutions that address the complex challenges of transforming our transport system.”
”Through our collaboration with ITRL, we stimulate research and innovation that help develop the Stockholm region and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable transport system. This is in line with the goals and ambitions that guide us in our regional development mission”, says Mikael Ranhagen, acting Director of Development, Region Stockholm.
Since its establishment in 2014, ITRL has been at the forefront of integrated transport research, bringing together experts from diverse disciplines to address the complexities of modern transport systems. The center’s mission is to understand and drive the transformation to a sustainable transport ecosystem, ensuring that transport solutions are not only innovative but also resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.
“Scania and Region Stockholm are strategic partners for KTH’s vision to lead sustainable societal development. For over a decade, ITRL has demonstrated how our close collaboration generates new knowledge and expertise in transport systems, and we are excited to build on these achievements in the years ahead, ” says Annika Borgenstam, Vice President for research at KTH.
The next phase of the ITRL collaboration will focus on expanding the center’s research into the key areas of “connected, automated, and supervised transport”, “fossil-free and clean transport”, and “efficient transport, logistics, and mobility concepts”. This phase will build upon the work from the first ten years, which saw the completion of 75 academic-industry research projects and the further initiation of 28 ongoing research initiatives.