In June, a study will start, which will examine the need for development of the transport network far into the future. The goal is to identify where the current situation will lead to and what opportunities are available for utilizing the transport infrastructure. The project is in charge of the Technology Research Center VTT and Tampere University of Applied Sciences TAMK, the biggest educator in the infrastructure sector.
The purpose of the project, which will start in June, is to draw up alternative future perspectives on the state of Finland's transport infrastructure in 2040. The project also determines the levels required for different development trajectories for infrastructure investments.
The starting point is the development of the economy and community structure, the needs of business and Finland's role as part of the European transport network. The project also aims to take into account the effects of digitization and service-based transport.
"The research produces information that, for example, political decision-makers can use in planning a long-term infrastructure program. At the moment, Finland does not have this type of program, when even the transport policy report was abolished," says the chief economist of Rakennusteollisuus RT, who was the mastermind behind the project. Sami Pakarinen.
"The results can be used to spark a discussion about where we want to get to, what should be emphasized and what kind of choices should be made. Our geographical position enables our country to develop into a logistical hub, especially if the Northeast Passage opens up even more to sea traffic with the melting of the glacier. In 2040, Finland could have a functioning train connection through the Baltics to Central Europe and a central developer's role as a trendsetter in the EU's Arctic policy," Pakarinen envisions.
The entities involved in the Transport Infrastructure 2040 research project represent a diverse range of Finnish society. The research project is financed by Rakennusteollisuus RT, Finnish Confederation of Business and Industry EK, Finnish Transport Agency, Finnish Federation of Agricultural and Forestry Producers MTK, Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions SAK and Center for Employees Central Organization STTK. The project will be completed by the end of 2016.