27/02/2025
The 2025 edition of the RTR (Results from Road Transport Research) Conference has come to an end, leaving a significant mark on the European research and innovation (R&I) landscape for road transport. With over 900 participants joining both on-site and online, this year’s conference underscored the importance of pre-competitive collaboration, funding synergies, and the transition from research to deployment in the pursuit of a sustainable and efficient transport sector.
Key Themes and Objectives
The RTR Conference serves as a vital platform for discussing the latest advancements in road transport R&I, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers. This year’s discussions revolved around critical areas such as infrastructure, road safety, decarbonisation, digitalisation, urban mobility, and logistics.
A strong emphasis was placed on competitiveness, affordability, circularity, and inclusiveness (CACI), reflecting the European Commission’s evolving priorities. Keynote speakers highlighted the necessity of ensuring tangible impacts from research projects, fostering synergies across funding programmes, and supporting the deployment of new technologies. The circular economy within the automotive sector was a major discussion point, particularly the challenges and opportunities of building resilient value chains for material recovery and recycling.
NEXTBAT at the RTR Conference
During the conference a dedicated session on high-performance and safe-by-design next-generation battery systems for road transport applications took place. As part of this session, the NEXTBAT project played a key role in showcasing its groundbreaking approach to battery safety and sustainability.
Mikko Pihlatie from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland presented how NEXTBAT aims to develop the safest and most sustainable battery system by considering electrical, thermal, and mechanical safety. With the growing need for reliable energy storage solutions in both transport and stationary applications, NEXTBAT’s work aligns with the broader European objective of enhancing battery performance while maintaining stringent safety and sustainability standards.
NEXTBAT’s participation in the conference highlighted its pivotal role in advancing battery safety and sustainability, reinforcing its contributions to the EU’s broader decarbonisation and electrification strategies. As we look ahead, the insights gained and partnerships formed at RTR 2025 will undoubtedly drive further breakthroughs in road transport research and deployment.
If you missed the conference, you can watch the replays on the RTR Conference YouTube Channel! For the latest project updates, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.