Project Partners
A summary of the G-PaTRA project partner organisations
Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University is lead beneficiary and leads WP1, which includes administering and co-ordinating the project and ensuring financial control. Robert Gordon University also coordinates WP2, which includes developing and initiating a communication strategy, maximising impact, establishing a website and coordinating social media and public relations activity. Subject specialists from Robert Gordon University also contribute to the technical work packages (WP3, WP4, WP5 and WP6) and attend the relevant expert workshops.
University of Groningen
University of Groningen are involved with WP4 and WP5. WP4 is concerned with vehicle use optimisation and behavioural change. University of Groningen will add and develop the knowledge of the research team on the state-of-the art in the field, and more specifically on citizen behaviour in ride-sharing and volunteer transport systems. As a knowledge institute with expertise on planning and rural issues, University of Groningen will share their knowledge in many fields with the other participants.
Aalborg University
The Division of Transportation Engineering (DTE) at Aalborg University has one of its central research areas in green rural transportation. DTE runs one lighthouse (WP4) testing rural car sharing in a selected rural area, and are involved in WP6. Besides the test itself, a central role is to measure the effect of the modal shift regarding emissions by interrogating driving data from the test area - DTE are documenting, via dialog with end users, the enhancement of access, mobility and social inclusion in the project. Also, DTE contribute to ensure that tools for measuring effects will allow G-PaTRA to draw conclusions with wide applicability.
Office for Regional Development Leine and Weser Region
The Office for Regional Development Leine and Weser Region play an active part as partner in most of the workpackages, including new WP6 which was created to incorporate new activity due to the project extension. Moreover they are the lead beneficiary for WP4. In a pilot project the Office for Regional Development Leine and Weser Region develop and try a sharing and coordination system for public and social sector vehicles as an addition to conventional public transport - including the pooling of vehicles and qualified drivers.
The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS)
HITRANS is the statutory regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, focused on the delivery of integrated, multi-modal, transport solutions. They lead WP3 and implement a lighthouse project demonstrating state of the art, operating a zero emission electric bus in a rural area and will also be involved in new WP6 activities. Their aim is to increase access to public transport for those that live, work and travel to and from these remote communities on a zero emissions basis which will dramatically reduce carbon emissions through reduced dependency on car usage.
Urban Foresight Limited
Urban Foresight, a consulting think tank focused on strategy and solutions, develop creative solutions and insights to have a positive and enduring social, economic and environmental impact. Urban Foresight lead WP5 and the elements of WP3 that require desktop research and an expert workshop to understand the ‘state of the art’ and are involved in WP6 activities. The objective of WP5 is to capture and assess the innovation across the whole project, ensuring objectives have been met and knowledge is effectively exchanged across partners and disseminated across the stakeholder network.
Mpact
(Formerly known as Taxistop) Mpact is an NGO with a mission “Share to Impact”, enabling solutions for sharing: ride-sharing and bike-sharing, and on-demand transport for the elderly. Mpact will contribute to: WP2 communications; WP3 by sharing of car-sharing experience in 35 cities; WP4 and WP5 by creating innovative ways to promote carpooling and integrate it with other transport modes and transfer of know-how from SocialCar (H2020) - a multimodal transport planner with carpooling. They will also transfer insights from Share-North to G-PaTRA and be involved with new WP6 activities.
Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council is a unitary Scottish local authority whose functions include economic development, education, social work, refuse collection etc. in an extensive rural area. Aberdeenshire’s main role is to run a lighthouse project in WP5. There is strong linkages with other WP5 lighthouses projects – Aberdeenshire will provide peer review of activity in all work packages and will look for opportunities in its region to implement transnational learning from all G-PaTRA project outputs in a rural public sector context. In its lighthouse project Aberdeenshire will work to engage other public sector transport providers and stakeholders in the region. They are also involved in the extension activities for the new WP6.
Province of Drenthe
Province of Groningen
The Provinces of Drenthe and Groningen are the managing authority for public transport in these areas. The Provinces' biggest contribution will be in WP3 and WP4. In WP3 they – together with other partners – will participate in the study by the University of Groningen to calculate the durability profits and compare them with the regulations in other countries in similar situations. In WP4 they will (jointly) develop smart planning tools, and conduct a trial on sharing and coordination systems. Province of Drenthe will lead new WP6, which was added after a project extension was granted to address the changing environment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
National Wind Energy Centre
The National Wind Energy Centre is working as an advisor in projects on zero-emission solutions for local businesses in Norway and they have experience of large transport-planning projects and transport simulation studies. The National Wind Energy Centre's role will be to conduct investigations on the possibilities for zero-emission public transport on Smøla. A central role will be to collect and compile information, and to interpret this information into a local context. In cooperation with the other local partners, they will document potential environmental benefits as well as behavioural changes in mobility towards a conscious and greener mode of transport.
Møre and Romsdal County Council Administration
The County Council works with regional/economic development and management tasks and has departments working solely with transport-related tasks and with energy and environmental questions. They will provide information about the traffic situation within and to the island, arrange workshops and have contact with relevant stakeholders.
Smøla Business and Culture Centre
Smøla Business and Culture Centre is a public authority responsible for amongst other funding schemes for local innovation projects and management of cultural and commercial matters for the Smøla municipality. They will provide information about the traffic situation within and to the island, help with issues that require extensive local knowledge and contacts, have contact with relevant stakeholders and ensure dissemination of project results to local politicians and other key stakeholders.