On 23th of March 2018, representatives from Klaipeda Public Transport Authority, Lithuania, The Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development (Rostock), Region Blekinge (Karlskrona), Innobaltica (Gdynia), Viimsi Municipality, (Estonia), Euroregion Baltic (Poland) and the University of Rostock participated in the third online meeting concerning INTERCONNECT Project.
The participants went through the schedule and the planned activities of the project, discussing and analysing the progress that has be done and identifying difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of the working packages of the project. The participants also discussed and gave feedback regarding the meetings they had with stakeholders in the partner areas in order to identify their current and future needs for travelling without a car, help them agree on a vision of sustainable public transport system and a path to achieve it. Therefore, the realization of the project is on track and all the partners are passionate and committed to continue working in order to find sustainable solutions that will make public transport more attractive to citizens in the South Baltic Sea Area.
During the three-day event under the name Transport Week, a seminar was held for companies and institutions that participate in the Interreg South Baltic program. The topic of talks was cross-border cooperation and ways to finance and improve transport solutions. Transport Week is one of the most popular events devoted to the TSL industry (transport, forwarding, logistics). It took place in Gdańsk on 6-8 March 2018 at the Baltic Philharmonic. One of the events accompanying the conference was the meeting of companies and institutions implementing EU projects under the Interreg South Baltic program under the name "Cross border cooperation: how to improve and finance innovative transport practices". After the presentation of selected program assumptions, the representatives of individual projects discussed issues related to how work in teams is organized, about the political and financial issues related to the implementation of tasks, as well as problems arising during the performance of individual elements of the work. It was a great opportunity to make contacts and compare styles of action. The Interconnect project was represented by Agnieszka Wojtach, project manager of Interconnect in InnoBaltica.
The workshop in Klaipeda within the INTERCONNECT project about better cross-border and regional public transport was facilitated by BTH PhD student Varvara Nikulina, supported by research colleagues Henrik Ny and Sven Borén in the SustainTrans research group.
The team had great support from the hosting team at Klaipeda Public Transport authority, lead by Andrius Samuilovas. The workshop took place in Culture Factory in Klaipeda and was different to the others in Gdynia and Karlskrona as there was simultaneous translation via headphones to both Lithuanian and English, and that the table leaders were from the Klaipeda Public Transport authority and could thereby contribute to the discussions with expertise within the topic.
There where less participants than in the other two workshops, but those who were present represented a great mix of public transport stakeholder, and their knowledge lead to fruitful discussions at each of the three tables in the afternoon. The format of the workshop was the same as the previous, starting with a nice introduction by the vice Mayor of Klaipeda Arturas Sulcas.
The participants then presented their expectations of the day and burning issues regarding regional and cross-border public transport. After a presentation of Strategic Sustainable Development related to public transport by Henrik Ny, the participants brainstormed and concluded upon a visioning statement about public transport for year 2040.
After lunch, the participants discussed and brainstormed current pros and cons regarding public transport and sustainability effects and then solutions towards the vision.
The BTH team are extremely grateful for the help of table leaders and the hosting by Klaipeda public transport. The next task is to write a summary report and then use the results to contribute to the list of solutions towards sustainability and high quality of regional and cross-border solutions in the South Baltic Region, and later this year start the development of the stakeholder collaboration model.
Simplification of payment systems for tickets, introduction of electric vehicles, low cost and comfortable travel conditions. These are just some of the proposals to improve public transport in Pomerania, discussed by participants in the INTERCONNECT seminar in Gdynia, on Thursday, 22 February 2018. Conducted in the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in Gdynia, the event saw the participation ofnearly 60 people from Pomerania (PL), Warmia and Mazury(PL), and Blekinge region (SE). Most of themwere self-government officials, employees of companies responsible for the organization and implementation of passenger transport, representatives of universities, as well as companies that produce devices and software for public transport. The event was organized by representatives of the Swedish Technological Institute Blekinge, based in Karlskrona, and employees of InnoBaltica.
The 13th of February, the SustainTrans team hosted, within the INTERCONNECT project, a workshop about future regional and cross-border public transport. PhD student Varvara Nikulina lead the workshop, and after a framing of the workshop by Magnus Johansson (chairman of the public transport board in Blekinge), and INTERCONNECT project leader Wiktor Szydarowski, the participants was introduced to strategic sustainable development of transport by senior lecturer and SustainTrans research leader Henrik Ny.
On February 7th, 2018 representatives from Klaipeda, the Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development (Rostock), Region Blekinge (Karlskrona), Innobaltica (Gdynia) and Blekinge Institute of Technology (Karlskrona) took part in the first webinar organized in the frame of INTERCONNECT.
Participants went through the schedule outlining the technical aspects - roles, responsibilities, linguistic support - of the seminars which are going to take place in Karlskrona (13.02.2018), Rostock (20.02.2018) Gdynia (22.02.2018) and Klaipeda (8.03.2018). The webinar represented a good opportunity to set the goals and discuss the capitalization of the outcome of the seminars.
On January 30th, 2018 INTERCONNECT project partners took part in the second online meeting to take stock of the situation
Regarding the implementation status, InnoBaltica has been approved as Project Partner 2 by the programme authorities while the Project Partner 9 - Viimsi Municipality - is still waiting for the approval by Estonian authorities to participate in the South Baltic Programme. Furthermore, the first progress reports by the project partners are either under scrutiny or on their way to be sent to the First Level Control.
With reference to single Work Package, in the frame WP2 "Communication and Dissemination", a newsletter will be sent soon in order to keep partners and stakeholders in key areas updated. Being the dissemination of results a fundamental aspect of reaching the largest audience possible, the first short video clips will be realized by the Association of Polish Communes ERB and the Blekinge Institute of Technology. As for WP3 "Evidence, knowledge and experience", a study report will be elaborated based on the public transport policies and case studies collected through templated prepared by the Ass. for Promotion of Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development at the University of Rostock. Finally, as for WP4 "Steering tools and business models", a template will be distributed for evaluating the quality of public transport in the partner areas.
On February 22nd in Gdynia (Poland), project partners of INTERCONNECT project will discuss the challenges of public transport in the region and how to find possible solutions to achieve a common vision. We invite all the stakeholders from Germany, Sweden and Poland that might be interested in discussing the future of public transport in the area.
Here's the complete Agenda and the form to register:
In February 13th in Karlskrona (Sweden), project partners of INTERCONNECT project will discuss the challenges of public transport in the region and how to find possible solutions to achieve a common vision. We invite all the stakeholders from Germany, Sweden and Poland that might be interested in discussing the future of public transport in the area.
Here's the complete Agenda and the form to register:
First study visitas part of the Interconnect project
During the study visit in Nykøbing Falster (Denmark) and Rostock (Deutschland) members of Interconnect project got to know and tested local, regional systems of public transport.
Study visit took place on December 10-12. Hosts of the event were representatives of Guldborgsund Municipality, Hanseatic City of Rostock and HIE-RO (Hanseatic Institute for Entrepreneurship and Regional Development). For the meetings and testing arrived guests from Sweden, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland.
Adopted in December 2017 as a flagship project of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, INTERCONNECT serves as a clear example of change in the public transport system in the Baltic Sea Region. Indeed, the EUSBSR is implemented, among others, by flagships namely a single project, a set of project contributing to the same action or a process. According to the EUSBSR the label of a flagship can be given to a project/process that fulfils certain criteria: it has a high macro-regional impact; it contributes to meeting the objectives, indicators and targets of the EUSBSR; it is related to the implementation of one or more actions of the policy area/horizontal action concerned.
In this regard as INTERCONNECT addresses the opportunity of curbing the car-reliant mobility trend in the South Baltic area by means of user-adjusted and more sustainable public transport services for regional and cross-border travels, the flagship label gives a stronger credibility for our action and helps us reach a wider audience than only the South Baltic Programme stakeholders. In particular, we see an added value of being acknowledged by the EUSBSR in our ambition to connect the stakeholders representing various competence sectors of relevance to the public transport – for the sake of a more systematic cooperation across the state borders. The cooperation with the PA Transport Coordinators, the national transport ministries of the EU-BSR countries and other initiatives connected to it will provide us with a unique opportunity to work out ways to put our findings on the policy level and better embed the public transport issues in the strategic frameworks. We would like to see that cross-border public transport services truly contribute to more intensive cross-border convergence processes and stimulate the sustainable regional growth.
For more information about flagship projects, click here
On Friday 8th December Interconnect PP’s and AP’s took part in the first online meeting, a good chance to take stock and prepare for the next activities after the kick-off meeting in Karlskrona on 4-5th October.
Preparing for designing and implementing of joint cross-border information and ticketing offer in public transport, InnoBaltica Ltd. announced the technical dialogue. It is the way to get an information and knowledge about strengths and weaknesses of already designed and implemented systems and solutions. It’s also a great opportunity to meet experts specialized in IT and billing systems, integration of transport.
The kick-off meeting of the INTERCONNECT project took place in Karlskrona (Sweden) on 4-5th October 2017. Organized by Region Blekinge, the project’s Lead Partner, the event aimed at organizing the work of the partnership while promoting its practical objectives dedicated to the establishment of sustainable cross-border public transport solutions in the South Baltic area.
