TransDigi: Overview of Finnish transport research and identifying knowledge gaps and future competence needs

The transport sector is going through significant changes (e.g. digitalization, connectivity, automation, electrification and servitization). This affects the shape of businesses and technologies as well as competence needs of the future. Policy makers need to steer progress towards achieving national and international goals (e.g. emission reductions) as well as improving competitiveness while ensuring well-being and accessibility of all citizens. Research provides decision-making support as well as generates new innovations creating new businesses and skilled workers for the future. This paper presents TransDigi – a Finnish transport research collaboration platform – and presents how it helps identify future competence needs. It facilitates information exchange between research organisations and the public sector. Through gathering an overview of relevant transport research activities and active information exchange, potential knowledge gaps can be identified to discuss how to solve the issue and whether efforts should be directed at building new competences.