Table of Contents – IRRB e-Magazine 1-2026
1. Preface (M. Robinson – what is IRRB e-Magazine; how often it will be published, what current issue contains (shortly)) The International Railway Research Board (IRRB) of the International Union of Railways (UIC) is pleased to bring to you this Newsletter that will issued quarterly. Each newsletter will update you on past progress, the current situation and the future international research and innovation direction. We are keen to promote transversal cooperation in Railway Research & Innovation and to build cooperation between the UIC Regions. Hot off the press you will learn the strategic priorities and the establishment of 6 Regional Competence Hubs. Each hub will focus on regional needs, to create know-how and provide innovative solutions. IRRB will disseminate all regional best practices and excellence in research and innovations worldwide, enjoy the newsletter.
2. UIC (incl. last GA decisions regarding IRRB) and then Members of IRRB Profile (Entity) The IRRB, as a UIC working group, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026. The group was established by decision of the 68th UIC General Assembly in Montreal, Canada, on 8 June 2006. Its original mission was tailored to the needs of UIC Members at the time, including networking at a strategic level and monitoring and coordinating research in all six UIC regions to enable the promotion of best practice and recommend standardisation.
Now, benefiting from 20 years of IRRB experience and aware of the faster-than-ever cycle of new technology development, the IRRB has recognised the need to revitalise the IRRB to serve UIC Members as a centre of knowledge, competence and research for future innovation. One of the achievements of the global collaboration of representatives of the UIC regions forming the 2023-2025 IRRB Steering Committee was to recommend a strategy for the development of UIC Regional Competence Hubs (RCH) for Innovation embedded within a coherent and revitalized for this purpose IRRB ecosystem (see Figure 1).
3. UIC Research & Innovation The UIC is already involved in research and innovation (R&I) activities at many different levels and co-organizes, among other things, the World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR). Initiated in 1994, this is the world's largest international congress on railway research, held once every three years.
The IRRB vision is to establish six regional UIC Competence Hubs for Innovation under the umbrella of UIC Regional Aassemblies, empowering continuous innovation-driven support for addressing current challenges faced by UIC members in each UIC region.
For more value to be derived from fruitful deliberations once every three years during the WCRR, the IRRB aims to create UIC Regional Competence Hubs (RCHs) for Innovation, which will empower R&D+I initiatives as regional ecosystems working continuously to:
- FACILITATE the continuous exchange of knowledge and expertise between UIC members, universities and railway research centers (not only during events like WCRR).
- FOSTER effective collaborations between different stakeholders in the region to facilitate innovation and support networking to conduct research for future innovations.
- INSPIRING necessary initiatives to find solutions that simplify, optimize costs, and boost competitiveness through innovation, leveraging the collective intelligence of practitioners, academics, and innovators to address real problems.
- INCREASING the adoption of innovations and shortening the time to market of innovative solutions delivers standards for applications and strengthens the workforce's capacity (Capacity building) to prepare for the future capabilities of the railway system.
a. IRRB
b. RCHs
Strategic Vision
The revitalized IRRB model for 2025, endorsed by the IRRB Steering Committee and aligned with the updated IRRB Terms of Reference, establishes six independent Regional Competence Hubs as dynamic drivers of rail sector innovation. Each RCH functions as both a focal point and incubator for regional expertise, knowledge sharing, and the mainstreaming of cutting-edge solutions, accelerating the transformation and future-readiness of global railways, by supporting the development of railways in the regions through collective intelligence, knowledge and best practices (incl. standards) sharing, networking of rail experts and stakeholders around regional needs (including research and innovation).
i. Academic Board for Innovation
The Academic Board for Innovation (ABI) comprises IRRB members that are not a Railway Undertaking (RUs) and Railway Infrastructure mangers (IMs) and are in the category of universities and/or research centres, think-tanks, organizations focused on public policy innovation, and R&I or representatives of other organisations such as i.e. the OECD, UN, AU, EU, ITU etc. and is also open to independent scientists, researchers or innovators.
The ABI act as a technological & scientific experts’ platform at IRRB and provide: • Ad hoc support to IRRB upon request made by the RCH and/or the SC. • a ‘scientific advisory board’ for IRRB or RCH projects (incl. Opt-Ins). • IRRB panels needed to execute IRRB goals resulting from the IRRB WP • cooperation with other UIC activities (including, but not limited to, thematic alliances of universities, working groups for education, research and innovation, etc.) • coordination with other research activities for innovation in the UIC • an impartial, scientific committee for competitions, congresses and conferences organised by the IRRB
The ABI, together with the IRRB Chair and the IC, are members of the programme committee (Programme Committee) which aims at the preparation of the Annual IRRB Global Summit.
The ABI meets twice a year, preceding the deliberations of the SC. Additional meetings may be required in the event of an extraordinary meeting and/or as required by the ABI Chair and/or by the IC. ABI meetings can be held in a physical meeting format at UIC headquarters in Paris or elsewhere at the invitation of an ABI member or via a remote meeting application. At least one meeting of the ABI will be held once a year physically with a recommendation to hold this meeting during the Annual IRRB Global Summit.
ii. IRRB Annual Global Summit with relation to WCRR
Annually, the IRRB Global Summit will promote UIC R&I activities regionally and globally to attract stakeholders to cooperation and engagement and promote RCHs achievements.
Once in every 3 years programming period (IRRB Work Programme) the Annual IRRB Global Summit is held in conjunction with the World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR), forming a consolidated “Global Research Week” and maximizing international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
The IRRB also intends to resume, in a new format, the awarding of prizes for achievements (IRRB REGIONAL & GLOBAL AWARDS) in R&I Excellence to scientists and researchers at the early stages of their careers, to outstanding achievers in R&I and R&I excellence, and to innovators for Innovative Implementation. More information on this topic will be published in future issues of the IRRB eMagazine.
How to Join IRRB
Please apply if you are interested in joining IRBB. The UIC is keen that all UIC Regions are represented on the IRRB Steering Committee, so please identify the Region you wish to join please email to IRRB@uic.org.
You will gain: • Knowledge of the research and innovation priorities globally and in the candidate's region of origin • Experience in establishing networks with researchers in the candidate's region of origin • Knowledge of representatiing your Region
1. IRRB update Interviews or Projects or Article of the issue:
- Interview with Andrzej Massel (look at the dedicated article)
- Interview with Sanjiv Bhutani (look at the dedicated article)
2. Summary (incl. next issue topics)
We hope that you have enjoyed this first IRRB newsletter. If you wish to contribute please email to irrb at uic.org. The next edition early in 2026 (Q1/Q2 2026) will focus on the WCRR 2025 in Colorado. You will be provided with an overview, access to important papers and presentations and interviews with key stakeholders that were active. In addition, we will describe the Regional Competence Hub for North America and how you can join.
