Three days to reinvent transport. This week, in Paris, the 3rd edition of the European Hackathon was held. Gathered at the French Gustave Eiffel University, students from twelve universities across the continent (Portugal, Germany, Italy, Romania and many others) had to come up with new ideas for transport. The former mayor of Strasbourg, now a European deputy, Fabienne Keller, was part of the jury and spoke to RFI at the end of the deliberation.
RFI: In a few words, what is the European Hackathon?
Fabienne Keller: This year was the 3rd edition. For three days, students from sectors related to transport and working in partner universities of the French University Gustave Eiffel, compete around the transport of tomorrow.
The results of the 2024 winners?
The oars of living together! This is one of the first prizes. This very simple and yet so innovative idea: transforming train, tram and public transport trains into living spaces. Passengers would only have to choose where they prefer to board.
That’s to say ?
For example, oars of fun! Joy, songs, games. The passengers would become the candidates for the duration of their journey. The other option, on the same train, you would have trains of silence and calm with soothing reading corners. This concept combines surprise and the unknown (since you are with partners and game opponents depending on your transport times) with meeting and the desire to get to know your passenger neighbors. I think the idea is brilliant!
What else ?
Plastic roads! Based on the principle of plastic materials that are sometimes very difficult to sort and recycle, the students invented a new road surface. So, it would only be paths for bicycles or bicycle cargo vehicles. This type of recycled coating is too fragile, it does not support large weights like cars or trucks. But it’s a really good ecological idea!
But in the end, what’s the point? Since this European Hackathon, organized by the French University Gustave Eiffel and AFIT (Agence de Financing des Infrastructures de Transport de France) does not provide any budget for the selected ideas.
But that’s not the goal! Indeed, you have the right to ask for the utility if we do not finance behind it. But this competition is a competition of ideas! In the utilitarian world we live in, this matters a lot. In addition, young people love it because they must have innovative ideas, but not outlandish ones since they are surrounded by specialists. We cannot propose anything that is unachievable. I perceive the aspirations of young people through their proposals.
The jury, it’s true, is made up of transport and environmental experts. Ecology, the protection of nature is a subject that concerns them.
Yes ! Hence the demand for a return to night trains! European youth are demanding them! I know many young Europeans who refuse to fly today.
However, the night train is having trouble getting back! Rails exist everywhere in Europe. But this mode of transport is less profitable than TGV (High Speed Trains). Despite promises, governments have not yet decided to reopen all the night lines that existed in the past, right?
You are unfair! There have been line reopenings in recent years. I think a lot about a model country, Austria, which never has to finance its night trips and it’s a success! But take Spain, Germany and France. It’s all political will! There is still progress to be made, but over the past two years, there have been new lines proposed and this is great progress. I hope that the approaching European elections will provide the opportunity for proposals and debates on the subject.
Back to the Hackathon, as a member of the jury, you highlight the role of European transport experts in this competition.
Thanks to them, students who do not know the morning of the competition have the opportunity to ask their questions, to see if their projects would be valid and feasible. This advice, this knowledge and this energy constitute a wonderful laboratory of ideas. This is the challenge and the merit of the Hackathon!
Useful link:
https://www.univ-gustave-eiffel.fr/international/hackathon-europeen
Also listenTransport chronicle: the rise in quality of night trains