Rail transport faces huge present and future challenges for which innovation and step changes are necessary. As UIC’s overall mission is to promote an increased use of rail transport at world level and to help members make rail transport more attractive, effective, sustainable and economically viable, the General Assemblies have brought their strong support to the ambitious programme of the UIC’s International Railway Research Board (IRRB), as well as its initiative to set up the UIC Rail Research & Innovation Awards. The first three editions of the Awards took place in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
The official Award ceremony for the fourth edition of the UIC Global Rail Research & Innovation Awards will be held on 6 December 2018 at the Historic Automobile Club, Place de la Concorde, Paris.
Through these Awards, UIC aims to support and promote rail researchers in:
- The development of theoretical, experimental and applied research in railway transport
- The development process of international cooperation in this field
- The promotion and attraction of leading experts from different countries, research institutes, universities, railway operators, infrastructure managers, railway suppliers, passenger transport organisations, governmental bodies in charge of transport and individual researchers to address the most important problems and challenges of modern railways
- The global recognition of the role of single researchers and research groups in order to establish rail as the sustainable backbone of the transportation system which is cost-efficient, reliable, safe and secure and therefore will become the mode of choice for passengers and freight forwarders
As well as to:
- Support and encourage gifted young researchers, stimulate their research work in the sphere of railway transport, prepare a new generation of researchers, lay the foundations for future innovative development of railway transport and attract young researchers in the sphere of railway transport as well as to support the creation of favourable conditions for scientific discoveries and innovative achievements involving young researchers
And to honour those persons who have spent their lifetime trying to innovate and improve the railway system and its services – the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The first official award ceremony was held in Paris on the occasion of the UIC General Assembly on 11 December 2012, during which we also celebrated the 90th anniversary of the founding of UIC and international cooperation between members within our association.
In the spring of 2018, UIC started communicating on the 4th Call for applications for the Award. Submissions can be uploaded to the special UIC hosted website until 15 September 2018:
http://uic-innovation-awards.org/
Applications for the UIC Innovation Awards are inviting researchers from among rail transport operators, infrastructure managers, rail research institutes and academia specialized in rail research, rail supply industry, passenger transport (user-)organisations, public transport authorities as well as individual researchers. Any organisation or individual which feels they have contributed to the innovation of the railway system through their research activities are welcome to apply. There is one condition: the results of the research project need to have been tested, demonstrated and proven beneficial in actual service.
Submissions for the UIC Innovation Awards for rail research leading to innovations with proven implementation can be made towards six categories.These are:
- Safety & Security (incl. signalling issues)
- Sustainable development (incl. energy, noise, vibration, emission issues)
- Rail System Technology (rolling stock, infrastructure and interaction)
- Rail Freight Services
- Customer services (incl. new business models)
- Cost reduction (increasing competitiveness)
As mentioned above, there are two other – honorary – categories:
- Young Researchers Award
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Applicants are requested to submit their application by using the on-line standard format which can be found on the dedicated UIC website http://uic-innovation-awards.org/. Additional information can be forwarded via e-mail to the address of the IRRB secretariat, schut@uic.org no later than 15 September 2018!
When selecting the laureates for the Awards the Jury will base its decisions on the following criteria:
- Innovation should be of industry-wide nature (should be able to be applied globally)
- Innovation should lead to the increase in efficiency or cost reductions for the railway companies
- The innovation should have a clear practical and demonstrated value
The jury will consist of members of the International Railway Research Board (IRRB) (composed of high-level representatives of the leading railway research institutes around the world) with the advice of technical experts from their organisation.
The winners in each of the six categories will be invited to the UIC Rail Research & Innovation Award ceremony in Paris on 6 December 2018 and will be presented the official Award and certificate as well as a money prize. Also, the winners of the two honorary categories will be invited to the ceremony to receive their Award and certificate of honour.
A very interesting Sponsor Package has been developed for those rail-related companies and organisations willing to support the stimulation of the innovation of the rail system through these UIC Global Research & Innovation Awards. This Award Sponsor information package can be sent to you at your request.
For further information please contact Dennis Schut, UIC Research Manager: schut@uic.org, or visit the website http://uic-innovation-awards.org/
Upload your submission here
