Australasia’s leading rail industry body has praised the New South Wales Government for plans to develop a new Research Hub within the state’s transport department.
Transport for NSW’s Research Hub will use a collaborative research model to inform government and the transport community on future innovation and planning.
The state says the Hub is designed to foster engagement, innovation and information between TfNSW and the tertiary sector, industry, and other government agencies interested in transport-related research.
Australasian Railway Association boss Danny Broad said collaboration between government and the private sector is crucial to enable rail to play its part as the state’s population to grows by over 12 million by 2056.
“We are on the cusp of an era that will see mobility revolutionised across the nation,” Broad said on June 29. “Rail will play a significant, central role in this, relieving congestion, reducing harmful emissions and contributing to improved, safer connectivity in our cities and in our regions.”
Broad said the new Hub would help combine the research resources of various institutions, to generate “greater heft” behind the implementation of new and innovative ideas in the transport sector.
“The Hub should help avoid unnecessary duplication of research efforts and facilitate the coordination of research activities to drive a leading-edge approach to mobility,” he added.”
“The Research Hub is an exemplar for other states to follow and the rail sector sees this as an initiative that could be cross-pollinated across all Australian jurisdictions.”
Is there a URL link to this hub, Oliver?
Dhanasekar – QUT
How will it operate? Just as a passive portal, or will it actually facilitate research through all of our existing research organisations, or which there are many? And how will “cross-pollination” in each state work when 5 states are “coordinating research activities”? Lots of co-ordination and empires? I thought the ARA’s inspired ACRI (I know it has a long history of creation) would be the central coordinator. Will NSW’s hub use the electronic portal of railway innovation called Rail Knowledge Bank at http://railknowledgebank.com/Presto/home/home.aspx???