TRA2026 ReGeneration in transport: Budapest, Hungary 18-21 May 2026

TRA 2026: Shaping the Future of Transport in Budapest

The Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2026 in Budapest was the largest Transport Research and Innovation Conference in Europe. This major event brought together stakeholders from all transport sectors (road, rail, waterborne and aviation), fostering collaboration between research and industry communities. It provided a unique platform for exchanging ideas with policymakers on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of transport.

TRA 2026 welcomed a diverse audience, including researchers, academics, students, young professionals, engineers, infrastructure managers, transport operators, SMEs, start-ups, industry leaders, vehicle manufacturers, shipbuilders, public authorities, governmental bodies, NGOs and other key decision-makers. The event featured plenary sessions, technical discussions, exhibitions and live demonstrations, creating an engaging environment for knowledge exchange and innovation.

Co-organised by the European Commission and the Hungarian host, TRA 2026 was an inspiring gathering in a country renowned for its creative and revolutionary minds, bringing together forward-thinking individuals dedicated to revitalising and future-proofing mobility in an era of transformation. With 1,573 abstracts submitted, a record for TRA, 970 papers accepted and 865 papers published in the open access proceedings, TRA 2026 confirmed its role as Europe’s leading platform for transport research and innovation.

TRA VISIONS 2026: Celebrating Innovation in Transport Research

As part of the TRA 2026 Conference in Budapest, the TRA VISIONS competition invited both young and senior researchers from across Europe to share their visionary ideas for innovative transport solutions.

What will future mobility look like? How can we meet the growing demands placed on our transport systems (road, rail, waterborne, air and cross-modal)? Which sustainable and efficient solutions can address today’s and tomorrow’s mobility challenges? TRA VISIONS answered these questions through the creativity and expertise of the research community.

First launched in 2014, TRA VISIONS is a well-established European competition designed to showcase cutting-edge transport research and boost the competitiveness of the European transport sector. The competition was fully integrated into the TRA 2026 Conference, offering visibility and recognition to the most outstanding ideas through awards, presentations and dedicated sessions.

Two Competitions, One Vision

In 2026, TRA VISIONS hosted two parallel competitions:

• Young Researcher Competition: open to undergraduate students and early-stage researchers, for projects in all areas of transport studies.
• Senior Researcher Competition: open to experienced researchers, for innovative concepts derived exclusively from EU-funded projects.

Both competitions covered all transport modes:
🚗 Road | 🚆 Rail | 🚢 Waterborne | ✈️ Air | 🔀 Cross-modality (Passenger Transport & Logistics)

Special Awards

In addition to the core competitions, TRA VISIONS 2026 featured:

• The Special Honorary Award, recognising a senior researcher with a distinguished career in transport research and innovation.
• The newly introduced Host Award, aligned with the theme of TRA 2026, “Re-Generation in Transport”, highlighting pioneering work addressing the transformations needed in the sector.

TRA VISIONS 2026 in review

The 2026 edition broke records, with 204 eligible Young Researcher applications from 26 EU countries and 104 universities and institutions, and 70 Senior Researcher applications. More than €298,000 in awards was secured from the European transport industry. The winners were honoured during the award ceremony in Budapest, and the TRA VISIONS 2026 Book now showcases their work, together with the shortlisted finalists and the sponsors who supported the competition.

👉 Discover the winners in the TRA VISIONS 2026 Book and watch the highlights film below