Building knowledge for more resilient transport

Electrification is changing how transport systems work. It creates new dependencies across vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy supply and digital systems – and raises new questions about resilience and preparedness.

For municipalities, regions and other public organisations, this means understanding how different parts of the system interact, where vulnerabilities may arise and how solutions can be adapted to local conditions.

Sharing research results beyond the research community has been part of SAEKERT from the outset. Now, that work is taking shape as an online course.

A new course takes shape

The project team is currently developing the course, bringing together research and expertise from across SAEKERT. In October, members of the team will gather at Luleå University of Technology to record the material.

“Research can only create real impact when knowledge is shared beyond the research community. With this course, we want to make research-based knowledge accessible and useful for the people who plan, manage and develop our transport systems,” says Tobias Vahlne, Project Lead for SAEKERT and Director of ACE.

The MOOC is primarily aimed at professionals in the public sector and related organisations. It brings together technical, organisational and governance perspectives to provide a broader understanding of resilient electrified transport systems.

No technical background is required. The course will be free, take approximately 8–12 hours to complete and can be taken at the participant’s own pace.

Topics include:

• resilience and vulnerabilities in transport systems
• electrification and new technical dependencies
• energy supply and charging infrastructure
• preparedness, governance and responsibilities
• strategic choices and different scenarios

“Electrification is changing more than the vehicles themselves. It’s changing how we need to think about transport systems and how society prepares for disruptions. By bringing these perspectives together, we want to help professionals make better-informed decisions about how we can build resilience,” says Cilli Sobiech, Senior Researcher at VTI.

Two ways to learn

The MOOC is one of two educational formats being developed within SAEKERT.

A one-day classroom-based course will offer a more in-depth and applied format, focusing on analysis, planning and decision support. It is aimed at professionals with operational or analytical responsibilities related to areas such as vehicle fleets, energy systems, charging infrastructure and preparedness.

Together, the two formats make project knowledge available at different levels – from a broad system understanding to more practical and applied work.

From research to practice

A key focus of SAEKERT is understanding resilience in electrified transport as a system issue. Vehicles, charging infrastructure, energy supply, digital functions, organisations and governance are interconnected and need to be considered together.

The educational material is one way of making this knowledge more accessible and useful in practice – and of connecting perspectives that are often handled separately, such as transport planning, energy, preparedness and governance.

Want to know when the MOOC launches?

Sign up for the newsletter via the SAEKERT project page to receive updates and be among the first to know when the course becomes available.