Research

Verne's research focuses on the transport system and logistics. Key perspectives are developing sustainability, safety, efficiency and operational performance of the system.

Future perspective is also an important element of research in Verne. Much of the research in connected with the factors of change that affect the future of transport system, e.g. reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from transport (electification, the actions and policy scenarios for reducing the emissions), the effects of technological development (automatisation, digitalisation) as well as the new services and business models in transport (e.g. Mobility as a Service, MaaS).

Current research projects

This website presents the ongoing research projects at Verne. The past research projects are reported in connection to the four themes presented next.

Sustainable mobility and transport

Sustainability has been a research topic which many projects have addressed over the years. Larger projects include e.g. PYKÄLÄ and PYKÄLÄ II projects, which studied the potential of cycling and walking in Finnish cities and reviewed the best practices. Most of the research in this field has been reported in Finnish, but the reports typically include at least an abstract in English.

Transport poverty

Transport Research Verne was the first to consider transport poverty in Finland. After a preliminary study in 2018, in which transport poverty was discussed and defined in the Finnish context, the research has continued by looking into data, which could be used to describe the current status and the groups or areas, in which transport poverty is an issue.

Sustainable and efficient logistics

In logistics, the research at Verne focuses especially on goods transport and on freight transport systems. The research has considered especially sustainability, city logistics, efficiency and robustness (resiliency).

Transport transformation

Transport system is facing many driving forces, which transform the future of the system. Most evident of these are sustainability requirements, which call for greenhouse gas emission reductions, and technological development, which enables more digital and automated transport system.

Mobility as a Service, MaaS

Digitalisation enables combining different transport services into one package for the customer as in the concept of Mobility as a Service, MaaS. To promote discussions between the academic community, the public sector and business actors, Transport Research Verne has organised the International Conference on Mobility as a Service, ICoMaaS, in 2017 and 2019 in Tampere. In 2022, the third ICoMaaS conference will be arrenged. Read more about the conference here.