Sustainable and Multimodal Transport Actions in the Scandinavian-Adriatic Corridor

Scandria®2Act

PROGRAMME 2014-2020

priority

3 Transport

objective

3.1 Interoperability

Scandria®2Act

The project Scandria2Act successfully established a formal cooperation of regions at the Baltic Sea for modern transport along one of the nine European transport corridors, which will help those regions to contribute to shaping the corridor and to benefit from it economically in the long run.

The challenge

The background

The Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor connects Helsinki (Finland) and Oslo (Norway) with Palermo (Italy) via Sweden, Germany, and Austria. It is one of nine corridors in Europe that make up a Europe-wide transport network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and railroad terminals, also called Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). TEN-T was launched by the EU institutions as one major policy of the EU in the mid 1990s. The idea of Transnational European Networks goes back to the Treaty of Rome (1957). Europe-wide networks of transport, of energy (TEN-E) and of telecommunications (eTEN) are considered as a fundament for the internal European market and for economic and social cohesion of the European Union. The “core transport network” includes the most important connections, linking the most important cities, and is to be completed by 2030. The “comprehensive network” covers all European regions and is to be completed by 2050. To complete these networks is a matter of smaller and large infrastructure constructions such as the Øresundbridge between Denmark and Sweden (completed) or the Fehmarn Belt Railway axis between Germany and Denmark (ongoing).

The challenge

TEN-T policy affects the regions along the corridors to a large extend, and can be expected to have many positive but also negative effects. As transport policy is typically a matter of national responsibility, the regions’ needs, concerns and proposals are not automatically considered in TEN-T implementation.

The project Scandria®2Act was an intiative of several regional and local councils and public authorities along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network corridor. With support of a number of established research institutes, Scandria®2Act wanted to foster clean, multimodal transport through those corridor regions. It aimed at increasing connectivity and competitiveness, while at the same time minimising the negative environmental impact induced by transport activities.

details

Budgets

Scandria®2Act
in numbers

3.62

Million

Total
2.40

Million

Erdf
0.00

Million

Eni + Russia
0.21

Million

Norway

Achievements

In pilot actions, the partners developed or improved multimodal services – both for passenger transport and freight transport in collaboration with the European integrating system “EU-Spirit”. Now, customers of public transport in Berlin-Brandenburg, Skåne and Greater Copenhagen are able to get better and real time information. The ports of Rostock and Oslo as well as Region Örebro and Hamburg developed new multimodal concepts, e.g. for freight trains. The partnership developed a strategy to deploy clean fuels along the Scandria®Corridor, making use of the experiences made in the corridor regions.

The Scandria®2Act partnership established a new governance mechanism by formally establishing the Scandria®Alliance, a cooperation platform of regions located along the Scandria®Corridor to create mutual benefit from the development of the European transport corridors. The Scandria®Alliance General Assembly constituted formally on 5 March 2019.

The Interreg project Scandria®2Act eastablished the Scandria®Alliance as a think tank for experts aiming to foster a change in mobility towards a more integrated and sustainable system. The founding member were the regions Helsinki-Ussimaa, Skane, Örebro, Akershus/Eastern Norway County Network, Berlin-Brandenburg as well as the City of Turku. They concluded a cooperation agreement on issues related to the Scandria®Corridor that are relevant for the regions development; i.e. the deployment of clean fuels, the fostering of multimodal transport, the improvement of cross-border rail links as well as initiatives to digitalise transport services.

Outputs

Pathway to the future – Scandria®2Act clean fuel deployment strategy

This strategy deals with alternative fuels and vehicles in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden along the Scandinavian-Mediterranean transport corridor. It provides an overview of the current development of the market, as well as policies and incentive schemes available in the countries and regions along the corridor. It also formulates recommendations against the background of climate targets agreed at European and global scale. It contains valuable information mainly for decision makers at all levels. The strategy is unique in the sense that it presents an ambitious transnational corridor view instead of separated national or regional frameworks.

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Multimodal corridor system report

The report has been developed by regions, universities and stakeholders of multimodal transport such as port authorities to obtain a picture of multimodal transport along the Scandria®Corridor. It provides an understanding of how transport between Scandinavia and the European mainland is currently handled. It is based on extensive studies carried out in Sweden, Norway and Germany. The report estimates the potential for a shift between transport modes and provides recommendations on how to foster a modal shift. It is a valuable information source for multimodal service providers but also for political decision makers mainly at national and regional level.

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Scandria®Alliance

The project Scandria®2Act eastablished the Scandria®Alliance as a think tank for experts aiming to foster a change in mobility towards a more integrated and sustainable system. The founding member were the regions Helsinki-Ussimaa, Skane, Örebro, Akershus/Eastern Norway County Network, Berlin-Brandenburg as well as the City of Turku. They concluded a cooperation agreement on issues related to the Scandria®Corridor that are relevant for the regions development; i.e. the deployment of clean fuels, the fostering of multimodal transport, the improvement of cross-border rail links as well as initiatives to digitalise transport services. The platform is open to further experts and regions, organising a regional dialogue on clean fuels, multimodal transport, cross-border infrastructure and digitalisation. Interested parties are invited to get into contact.

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