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Event
Public event
#Mobility

The future of rail: regulation & competition for an innovative industry

6 February 2019
13:00
- 16:00

University Foundation
11 Rue d'Egmont
1000 Brussels

About
Speakers
Event materials

About

Unprecedented levels of research in all modes of transport suggest that the pace of innovation is going to greatly accelerate in the coming years. Is the structure of the rail industry and competition between actors fit to encourage innovation? Should regulation play a greater role in encouraging the implementation of these innovations?

As the European Commission was investigating the possible rail merger between Alstom and Siemens over competition concerns, this high-level seminar explored barriers and incentives for the rail industry to innovate, including market structure, competition and regulation.

The relatively slow pace of implementation of innovations in the rail industry may be partly due to the need for a high level of safety and compatibility between new equipment and the existing ones. It may also be due to regulatory and institutional arrangements which are not adequately geared to encourage innovation. Competition and market structure may also play a key role in boosting innovation in the sector.

This event gathered major actors from the rail and mobility sectors, including operators, infrastructure managers, regulatory authorities, academic experts and representatives from the European institutions to discuss challenges and opportunities for rail innovation.

The seminar was led by Chris Nash (CERRE Research Fellow and Professor at the University of Leeds), in collaboration with Andrew Smith (Professor, University of Leeds).

Speakers

Bruno Liebhaberg (Website)
Bruno Liebhaberg
Executive Chairman¹ ²

Bruno Liebhaberg is Executive Chairman of the think tank Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) which he founded in 2010.

From 2018 to 2021, he was also the first Chairman of the European Union Observatory on the Online Platform Economy. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM ULB) where he taught from 1979 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he advised former European Commission President Jacques Delors on industry and R&D matters related to the completion of the EU Single Market.

He holds a Master’s in management sciences from SBS-EM ULB and a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

¹Also representing B.LIEBHABERG S.A., Director General
²Member of the Strategic Committee

Bruno Liebhaberg is Executive Chairman of the think tank Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) which he founded in 2010.

From 2018 to 2021, he was also the first Chairman of the European Union Observatory on the Online Platform Economy. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles’ Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (SBS-EM ULB) where he taught from 1979 to 2018. Earlier in his career, he advised former European Commission President Jacques Delors on industry and R&D matters related to the completion of the EU Single Market.

He holds a Master’s in management sciences from SBS-EM ULB and a Ph.D. in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

¹Also representing B.LIEBHABERG S.A., Director General
²Member of the Strategic Committee
Keir Fitch
Keir Fitch
Head of Unit ‘Rail Safety and Interoperability’
DG MOVE, European Commission

The mission of the Unit is to establish an interoperable and safe Single European Rail area and to manage the relationships with the European Union Agency for Railways and the Shift-To-Rail Joint undertaking. This includes in particular: pursuing the conditions to achieve interoperability and safety in the rail systems across the EU, in particular in partnership with the European Union Agency for Railways; and ensuring the delivery of a long term R&I programme with the rail industry which supports the Commission’s vision for the future of rail and broader transport, competitiveness, environmental and social policy objectives.

Mr Fitch is the former Deputy Head of Cabinet of Siim Kallas, Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport where Mr. Fitch is responsible for land transport, security and state aids, inter alia. He was also the coordinator of the White Paper of the Future of Transport. Mr Fitch studied mathematics and law at Cambridge, was a lawyer at Herbert Smith and then moved on to the UK civil service in 1993. He joined the European Commission’s Legal Service in 1999. Before joining the cabinet of Mr. Kallas in 2004, he was a Member of Cabinet of Vice-President Kinnock, responsible for Administration.

The mission of the Unit is to establish an interoperable and safe Single European Rail area and to manage the relationships with the European Union Agency for Railways and the Shift-To-Rail Joint undertaking. This includes in particular: pursuing the conditions to achieve interoperability and safety in the rail systems across the EU, in particular in partnership with the European Union Agency for Railways; and ensuring the delivery of a long term R&I programme with the rail industry which supports the Commission’s vision for the future of rail and broader transport, competitiveness, environmental and social policy objectives.

Mr Fitch is the former Deputy Head of Cabinet of Siim Kallas, Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport where Mr. Fitch is responsible for land transport, security and state aids, inter alia. He was also the coordinator of the White Paper of the Future of Transport. Mr Fitch studied mathematics and law at Cambridge, was a lawyer at Herbert Smith and then moved on to the UK civil service in 1993. He joined the European Commission’s Legal Service in 1999. Before joining the cabinet of Mr. Kallas in 2004, he was a Member of Cabinet of Vice-President Kinnock, responsible for Administration.

Chris Nash
Chris Nash
CERRE Honorary Research Fellow
University of Leeds

Chris Nash is a CERRE Research Fellow and a Research Professor at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) of the University of Leeds.

He was previously Director of the ITS for seven years.

He has coordinated and contributed to a wide range of EU research projects, including the SUSTRAIL project.

He has advised many organisations, including the EC’s High Level Group on Infrastructure Charging, the OECD, and the Transport and European Union Select Committees of the British Parliament.

Chris Nash is a CERRE Research Fellow and a Research Professor at the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) of the University of Leeds.

He was previously Director of the ITS for seven years.

He has coordinated and contributed to a wide range of EU research projects, including the SUSTRAIL project.

He has advised many organisations, including the EC’s High Level Group on Infrastructure Charging, the OECD, and the Transport and European Union Select Committees of the British Parliament.

Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith
Professor of Transport Performance and Economics
University of Leeds

Andrew is Professor of Transport Performance and Economics at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. He leads the Institute’s Rail Research Group. His research is focused on: infrastructure access pricing and marginal cost research; rail regulation and the impact of rail reforms on economic efficiency; cost and efficiency modelling; and modelling the economic impact of rail technology innovations. He has published important work in these areas and has led or is leading a wide range of research projects.

He is also academic advisor to water regulator Ofwat on econometric benchmarking, a member of the advisory board of the Italian Transport Regulation Authority, and an Editor of the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy.

Andrew has a visiting research position at the Centre for Transport Studies (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and VTI) in Stockholm and at the University of Masaryk, Czech Republic. He teaches at undergraduate level on Advanced Microeconomics and Public Enterprise and Regulation and teaches / or has taught at Masters level on Economics of Transport Regulation and Public Transport Planning and Management.

Andrew is Professor of Transport Performance and Economics at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds. He leads the Institute’s Rail Research Group. His research is focused on: infrastructure access pricing and marginal cost research; rail regulation and the impact of rail reforms on economic efficiency; cost and efficiency modelling; and modelling the economic impact of rail technology innovations. He has published important work in these areas and has led or is leading a wide range of research projects.

He is also academic advisor to water regulator Ofwat on econometric benchmarking, a member of the advisory board of the Italian Transport Regulation Authority, and an Editor of the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy.

Andrew has a visiting research position at the Centre for Transport Studies (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and VTI) in Stockholm and at the University of Masaryk, Czech Republic. He teaches at undergraduate level on Advanced Microeconomics and Public Enterprise and Regulation and teaches / or has taught at Masters level on Economics of Transport Regulation and Public Transport Planning and Management.

Event materials

ISSUE PAPER | The Future of Rail: Regulation and Competition for an Innovative Industry

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Centre on Regulation in Europe asbl (CERRE)

Avenue Louise, 475 (box 10)
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T.: +3222308360
E-mail: info@cerre.eu 

BE 0824446055 RPM Bruxelles

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