SmartTram brings solutions to sustainable mobility

The ongoing transition in the transport industry offers Finnish expertise excellent potential for building a new export growth industry out of sustainable transport solutions.

The SmartTram ecosystem brings together the Finnish research and business sectors to work with cities to create the world’s finest tram transport solutions in order to reinforce exports of Finnish expertise, said a press release of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

“Our goal is to become the most attractive producer on the international markets of functions and services integrated into tram vehicles. Urban environments require a sustainable and user-oriented transport system. Our technological focus is to create the world’s best tram, as far as passenger services and life cycle services are concerned, and also to develop solutions to improve the safety and flexibility of trams with a view towards autonomous transport,” said Kai Hermonen from Skoda Transtech Oy, project manager of the SmartTram ecosystem.

VTT is an innovation partner and research project coordinator with Skoda Transtech in the ecosystem.

Tampereen Raitiotie Oy and Helsinki City Transport provide opportunities for running a variety of experiments in Tampere and in the Helsinki metropolitan area to facilitate the adoption of solutions customised to user needs.

“SmartTram is a good example of the sort of ecosystem that is a key goal in the National Growth Programme for the Transport Sector, boosting developments in the industry, fostering business-led growth and promoting exports through cooperation between the private and public sectors and research institutions,” said Principal Scientist Raine Hautala from VTT.