Dear Committee Member,

I refer to the Call for Candidates to host the Transport Research Arena in 2026. My honour to state that Hungary is running to host this important event in the field of transport research in Europe and I attach a submission from Hungary for your consideration. My officials have several times expressed that Hungary is devoted, and prepared to host the TRA conference in 2026. In our bid and, if successful, with the organisation of the conference we would like to draw the attention on the role of young researchers in innovation. The theme of the conference also includes adapting European research results in the field of digitalisation, automation, optimization, and the regeneration of transport and mobility systems that can contribute to the EU achieving its goals related to social, environmental and economic sustainability, particularly climate change, resilience, safety and security. TRA2026 Budapest would be a perfect opportunity to bring the academic community together and attract industrial, public, and other stakeholders to initiate a debate on the aforementioned challenges in the transport sector. It is also of high importance that a discussion is held about the most useful future skills and how academia can contribute to provide Europe with excellent researchers and professionals. During this event, through presenting academic and industrial research results, the general international direction is naturally determined along with the competences and future skills needed to implement the findings in real life in a sustainable way.

The Company I am representing is formally submitting this bid on behalf of Hungary, but I can assure you of the commitment of our Government, the Mayor of Budapest, and the transport sector. The Consortium to organise TRA 2026 includes key Hungarian partners in transport research, and related fields of transportation. The proposal has the full support of the host region (Budapest Mayor’s Office) and a number of Hungarian transport authorities and state bodies, as well as the backing of transport-related industry in Hungary as reflected in the large number of Letters of Support included in the submission.

Hungary has proven its ability to host international events of this scale. Last year, when the pandemic situation allowed, three major international events were organised in Budapest: the 2021 International Eucharistic Congress, “One with Nature” Expo, and PLANET Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit. Our submission organisation includes Hungexpo, the provider of the venue, and a professional organiser of events, too. Based on their experience in managing the communication, marketing and finances associated with an event of this importance. In our submission, we have included a conference budget plan based on the estimated costs of holding the event and the expected income from registration fees, exhibition space rental and industry sponsorship. Nevertheless, there are always uncertainties and risks associated with hosting an event in four years’ time, this plan
is underpinned by the commitment of the company I am representing to fund the event and to cover all the necessary financial duties to organise the conference. While additional funding from the eu or other sponsorship sources may be sought, the budget presented does not rely on any external funding that may be made available.

Accessibility is always a key factor in organising an international event. in this regard, Hungary has an optimal location in the hearth of Central Europe. several corridors are crossing here from north to south, and east to west. Budapest is easily accessible from most of the European Capitals via direct flights, or railways.

The city of Budapest, and the ancient Aquincum (located in the northern part of Budapest) traces back its history to the 3rd-4th century BC, but there is a number of historical landmarks from the roman empire, too. beside the rich cultural heritage Hungary has a well-deserved international reputation for the wealth of thermal and mineral water sources throughout the country, inviting people from all around the world to travel here to soothe their pains, or just relax while enjoying the wide range of spa services that are on offer. Hungary has the fifth biggest volume of medicinal thermal water, Budapest alone has over 100 thermal springs and wells, the highest number in the world. Budapest has the infrastructure to host this much delegate, as proven several times while organising some of the world’s most attractive sports events, like the F1 Hungarian GP since 1986, the Fina World Championships in 2017, and 2022, and co-organising the UEFA Euro 2020 and Men’s EHF Euro 2022 Championships, and the preliminary race (Grande Partenza) of Giro d’Italia in 2022. Budapest also awarded to host the IAAF World Championships in 2023.

We believe that Budapest is the perfect location to host the 2026 tra Conference and would welcome the opportunity to work with the TRA management Committee to organise an event of which we can all be proud.

József Attila Szilvai
Hungarian Public Roads CEO