Our Role
As the premiere university research program on sustainable transportation, ITS-Davis continues to develop research on transportation, climate, air quality, safety, and innovation/industrial development issues.
With over 150 researchers and students focused on these topics, ITS-Davis is sharing its strong existing research capabilities with low-carbon vehicles and fuels, travel behaviour, freight logistics, urban planning, and modelling of future transportation and energy systems, with a focus on key policy-relevant issues.
ITS-Davis’ sterling reputation as a research-driven convener of transportation leaders has had a profound impact on policymaking in California and the United States. Officially launched in March 2023, at a conference ITS-Davis hosted in Brussels, ETERC strengthens the ITS-Davis capacity to play a similar role in Europe, supporting the development of policymaking efforts on sustainable transport and energy.
As part of a network of international centers of ITS-Davis, ETERC supports governments--including in the Global South--and intergovernmental organizations in their analysis of sustainable transportation and energy technologies, leveraging the experiences of both Europe and California.
This vision is based on the consideration that transportation and energy technologies are developing rapidly, meaning that anticipating changes in supply and value chains, infrastructure, and life cycle impacts on the environment can help us steer their deployment towards net benefits for society.
ETERC has a solid track record of projects developed with governments, intergovernmental organizations, multilateral development banks, philanthropic foundations, non-governmental organizations and industry. These cover road transport, shipping, and aviation and clean energy more broadly.
ETERC also leveraged the unique position of being part of a leading academic institution to convene thought leaders, policymakers, and industry representatives in context allowing for open and frank debates, enabling everyone to have insights for strategic planning and offering opportunities to the ITS-Davis to generate relevant research activities. Key examples include its 2023 launch conference, a second conference held in September 2024, and a pro-active contribution to the organization of the biennial Asilomar conference by the ITS-Davis.
With staff also affiliated with Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and the Smart Freight Center (SFC), ETERC also has unique cooperation opportunities with academia, NGOs and industry partners.
