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HELSINKI SEMINAR ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
THE 4TH SEMINAR ON ROAD AND TRAFFIC
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, ORGANIZED BY
THE WORLD INTERCHANGE NETWORK
(WIN), PIARC, OECD AND THE FINNISH
NATIONAL ROAD ADMINISTRATION
(FINNRA) WAS HELD IN HELSINKI, FINLAND
ON MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 1996. THE SEMINAR
WAS ATTENDED BY 120 PARTICIPANTS
REPRESENTING 25 COUNTRIES IN ALL THE
CONTINENTS.
The three previous seminars, pursuing a
global road technology transfer organization,
were arranged in Orlando, USA in 1990,
Seville, Spain in 1991 and Budapest, Hungary
in 1992. Finally, after many phases, WIN was
established last year.
In connection with this Seminar, also the
following meetings were arranged: WIN Board
of Directors Meeting, WIN General Assembly
and the meeting of the World Road Association's
(PIARC) Committee C3, Technological
Exchanges and Development.
The targets for the Seminar were to extend and
enhance the use of new technology worldwide,
to identify and share existing applications and
case examples in technology transfer on
national, regional international and global
levels, to explore human resource development
needs in the technology transfer community,
and to form closer ties between technology
transfer and other specialists in the road
sector. Communication was facilitated by
simultaneous interpretation in English,
French, Spanish and Russian.
The occasion was opened with a welcoming
speech from Mr. Antti Kalliom�ki, Minister of
Trade and Commerce of Finland. Due to
pressing commitments, he was unable to
deliver it personally.
Pic. 1: General view of the Seminar in Marina Congress
Center.
The program of the Seminar was divided into
four themes and chaired, respectively, by the
following persons:
It is to be regretted that relatively few persons
from the developing countries were able to
attend the Seminar, and even fewer gave
lectures. The Declaration of Intent, formulated
by the Casablanca Founders Conference,
envisioned WIN especially for developing
countries and those in transition.
Yvan Demers, Chairman of WIN Board of
Directors, stated in his closing speech in
Helsinki: "This seminar is a good example of
what we can achieve jointly to promote the
road information and knowledge transfer, to
foster worldwide the transfer of expertise in
road areas, and in so doing to bring support
to the road professionals. When these road
professionals from all countries of the world
are not faced with institutional, socioeconomic
or political barriers, the problems they encounter
are mainly technical."
As Executive Director of FinnT2, I have had
opportunities to participate also in road
knowledge transfer in actual practise and thus
perceive its results in the Baltic countries.
Knowledge transfer as everyday work of nodes
can, naturally, be only limited. As a consequence,
nodes operation can leaa to separate
technology transfer projects funded by international
financing institutions.
This FinnContact issue is devoted to the
Helsinki Seminar and WIN. The articles,
heavily abridged by the editors, have been
picked out from among the papers given in the
Seminar.
JARMO IKONEN
In recent years, there has been considerable
discussion in the international road community
on technology transfer, particularly regarding
the road related information and knowledge transfer.
The conclusions of a world survey of existing
knowledge exchange organizations carried out
in 1993 and 1994 indicate a need for an
effective system of local, national, international
and global information and knowledge
interchange networks to put those with questions
in contact with those who have solutions.
PIARC Interchange Founders Conference,
consisting of more than 150 delegates from 45
countries, was held in June 1994, in Casablanca.
The Declaration of Intent setting out
the mandate of the World Interchange Network
was then adopted.
The World Interchange Network was officially
launched during the XX'th World Road Congress
in Montr�al, in September 1995. At the
same time, its Board of Directors was appointed,
a Permanent Secretariat was set up, and
the World Interchange Network started to
operate officially.
Incorporated in Qu�bec, the World Interchange
Network has been granted Letters Patent
stating its legal personality as a non-profit
organization, using the names of R�seau
mondial d'�changes, World Interchange Network
and Red mundial de intercambios, giving official
status to the three languages recognized by
the Network, French, English and Spanish.
A NETWORK OF NETWORKS
The World Interchange Network is a network of
networks, a set of interconnected components
called nodes, forming a proactive basis for
road-related information and knowledge
transfer.
The basic responsability of the World Interchange
Network is limited to informing users
of persons to contact; more detailed exchanges
of information and knowledge must take
place outside the Network through direct
contact between the person seeking information
and the one supplying it. The World
Interchange Network is accordingly discharged
of any responsibility as to the results
arising from these interchanges.
Therefore, the objective of the World Interchange
Network can be summarized as follows:
a non-profit organization with no
intention of pecuniary gain for its members,
working in close harmony with
PIARC and using local, national, international
and global networks, whose
objective is to put persons with roadrelated
questions in contact with those
who can provide answers.
FOR BETTER SHARED ROAD EXPERTISE
Anyone interested in the objectives of the
World Interchange Network can become a
member.
Any organization, public, parapublic or private,
operating in the road sector or involved
in the exchange of road information and
knowledge in whatever form, capable of and
interested in exchanging information and
knowledge concerning the road, can become a
node of the World Interchange Network.
Ideally, a large number of vartous kinds of
organizations should be linked to the World
Interchange Network and should serve as
nodes with, naturally, variations depending on
the regions of the world. In some countries,
universities may become important technology
transfer centres while in others, this role may
be played by research institutes, professional
associations, the private sector, government
transportation or other departments, government
and public sector organizations, etc.
Today, more than one hundred members,
coming from over 40 different countries form
the World Interchange Network General Assembly.
Fifteen administrators from vartous
parts of the world form its Board of Directors
and no less than 40 nodes established in 26
different countries are already in operation and
are involved with the road community.
Over the past six months more than one
hundred requests for expertise have been
handled by the World Interchange Network,
including 26 by the Secretariat.
A request is generally processed as follows:
393, St.-Jacques West,
Telephone: 1-514-844-9926 Pic. 2: Members of WIN General Assembly in the meeting in Hanasaari Cultural Center. In front row Jesus Santamaria and Angel Lacleta (Spain), Leyla Unal (Turkey), middle King Gee and Ray Griffith (USA), and behind Boris Spassov (Bulgaria).
FINNT2 SUCCESSFUL IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER WORLD-WIDE The Finnish Technology Transfer Center (Finn2), established in 1993 and headquartered at the Finnish National Road Administration, acts as the WIN regional international node in the Baltic Sea region. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian T2 Centers work in partnership with FinnT2. We were happy to hear that technology transfer, carried out by FinnT2, was placed number one in the list of gems among all the Finnra last year international operations. MISSION AND SCOPE OF FINNT2 FinnT2 is a co-organisation for international and domestic technology transfer in the road sector. Furthermore, FinnT2 creates opportunities for international and domestic joint projects with finest expertise and know-how. In consequence of the memorandum of understanding on highway transportation technology exchange between Finnra and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), USA, FinnT2 works also in close cooperation with the American party. STANDARD SERVICES OF FINNT2
Responses to WlN enquiries
Newsletter BALTIC COOPERATION OF FINNT2 Here ere listed some of the activities carried out by FinnT2, or jointly with the U.S. FHWA, in the cooperation with the Baltic T2 Centers: A Pavement Rehabilitation Course was arranged in Riga, Latvia in 1994, Winter Maintenance Course in Laulasmaa, Estonia inl994 and Cold-mix Paving and Remixer Course in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1995. These were one week courses for the experts of all the three Baltic road administrations. Circuit rider van training has also been arranged. The program began in early 1995 in Estonia by a series of 15 ope-day courses on road data bank. Engineers from the Baltic Countries have participated in the IRF Fellowship Program, been in exchange in U.S. Departments of Transportation and participated in the annual U.S. T2 Conferences. Administrative two-day Technology Transfer Seminars among the Baltic Sea region T2 centers ere arranged twice a year. The 7th Regional Seminar took place at the beginning of May in Riga. Pic. 3: All those who gave papers on nodes operations under theme 1 in the Seminar. From left Thomas Brahms (USA), Andrew Pentecost (Australia), Jarmo Ikonen (Finland), Andrus Aavik (Estonia) and Virgaudas Puodziukas (Lithuania). ROLE OF A REGIONAL NODE According to our analysis, the regional node (FinnT2) has at least seven roles in practice: planner, realizer, coordinator, expert, promoter, developer and reporter. The establishment of the T2 center network in Russia is an example of the promotor role. FinnT2 participated, as specialist, in the preparation of the project plan and application for funds to the European Union for establishing the T2 center network in Russia. The applicants are Finnra, the Russian Federal Highway Department and U.S. Federal Highway Administration. If the application results in planned project, FinnT2 will be involved in its realization. Coordination is one of the main tasks of a regional international node. I list here some tasks belonging to a regional center:
(Abridgement of the paper of Jarmo Ikonen, Executive Director of FinnT2)
OECD'S EXPERIENCE AND AGENDA ON T2 MULTI-LATERAL FOUNDATION Technology transfer has been the thrust of our Programme since its inception. Created in 1967 by the governmental road and research laboratories of the twenty OECD Member countries, our aim was to create a mechanism for technology cooperation between the most industrialized nations. However, we have learned that T2 is not an easy exercise. Technology providers must ensure that key knowledge is transferred and can be adopted or adapted to recipients' needs and the prevailing national context. In other words, user needs must be defined clearly and the most appropriate technology has to be identified at the outset. FOCUS ON CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (CEECS) AND NEWLY INDEPENDENT STATES (NIS) With the fall of the Berlin wall an intensive programme of T2 conferences and workshops was launched to serve CEECs and NIS with selective financing from governments and industries of some OECD Member countries, professional associations and the EU PHARE:
Pic. 4: One of the workshops in the General Assembly. Among others, the new members of WIN Board of Directors: Ahmed Hakimi (Morocco), second on the right, and Yukihiko Sumiyoshi (Japan), fanthest back on the right. OECD AND THE ORIGIN OF WIN At the PIARC Marrakesh World Congress in 1991, a Special Session was devoted to the presentation of the Orlando and Seville conclusions and recommendations calling for a global T2 entity and clearinghouse. The idea was to put together efforts of interested countries to create a central communication node in order to facilitate technology exchange towards and with non industrialized countries. The OECD Budapest Seminar in 1992 then proposed a World Technology Transfer Network asking the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses and the international donor agencies to take the lead to launch this co-operative initiative. This joint OECD work resulted laser on in the creation of the independent World Interchange Network (WIN) at the September 1995 World Road Congress in Montr�al. This Seminar today can be considered to be the follow-up of these OECD and PIARC initiatives that attempted to profoundly reduce the problems of cooperation and information exchange in the world under which we suffered for so long. Clearly the success and effectiveness of past OECD activities were due to the human dimension, mutual respect and commitment of Delegates. This poses of course a question for WIN: if the human factor and human trust is a secondary element - even with first quality exchange mechanisms - the worldwide forum will be doomed. Of course, I do not want to sound too negative. Still, regular gatherings of this sort today are essential as are visits of indviduals and teams to advise and to directly share experience and knowledge. STRATEGIC ORIENTATION The guiding principle which directs us is that information and knowledge are the ultimate source of sustainable development. It is therefore under discussion to create a focal point within the OECD Road Transport Research Programme to facilitate our involvement in outreach activities in the sectors covered by the Programme - infrastructure, traffic management, safety, environment. The outreach activities to be selected shall respond to the scientific and technological needs expressed by non member countries. It is likely that a special panel be established that would attempt to maximise the benefits within the limited resources which can be made available for these activities. Efforts should be based on the active involvement of the client countries and/or interregional agencies and take into regard similar activities of other international organisations, in particular WIN, EU, World Bank and PIARC. Since we ere here in Helsinki with a large representation of CEECs and NIS, it is useful to discuss the scope of possible future joint activities for the attention of these countries. Priorities are:
(Abridgement of the paper of Burkhard Hom, Head of Road and Transport Research Programme of OECD. The paper was presented in the Seminar by Claude Morin.)
Place actuelle des Pays en D�veloppement et en Transition dans ['Association mondiale de la Route Dans les organes d�cisionnels de ['Association, la repr�sentation des gouvernements est organis�e de telle sorte que chacun de ces pays dispose de deux voix fors des votes. Certains pays industrialis�s disposent d'un nombre de voix suppl�mentaires en fonction de leur participation au budget g�n�ral de l'AIPCR. Cependant, ce nombre de voix est plafonn� de telle sorte qu'au total il y ait un �quilibre satisfaisant entre des pays en d�veloppement et en transition (PED/PET) d'une part et les pays industrialis�s d'autre part. Le Comit� ex�cutif de l'AIPCR est actuellement pr�sid� per un repr�sentant du Mexique, M.Victor Mahbub; un des trois Vicepr�sidents provient du Maroc; permi les treize autres membres, les pays suivant sont repr�sent�s: Hongrie, Malaisie, Russie et Argentine. La participation des repr�sentants des PED/ PET aux activit�s des Comit�s et Groupes est, dans la pratique, entrav�e per les difficult�s qu'ils �prouvent a financer les d�placements correspondants. L'Association met en ocuvre des moyens particuliers pour r�soudre ces difficult�s et encourage les pays membres qui le peuvent a parrainer des repr�sentants des pays en d�veloppement ou en transition. Place du Transfert de Technologie dans ['Association mondiale de la Route Le transfert de technologie dans le domaine de la route et de la circulation routi�re est ni plus ni moins que la raison d'etre de l'AIPCR. Le document le plus complet et le plus r�cent qui traite de cette question est le Plan strat�gique de l'AIPCR, approuv� en septembre 1995. Le Plan strat�gique fixe �galement des objectifs en mati�re d'organization interne de l'Association de fa,con a l'aider a accomplir sa mission. On rel�ve permi ces objectifs, et aux trois premi�res places:
Le Comit� AIPCR des Routes dans les R�gions en D�veloppement a chang� de nom en 1991 et est alors devenu le Comit� des �changes technologiques et du D�veloppement (C3), manifestant ainsi clairement l'tengagement de l'Association dans la recherche de solutions en faveur du transfert des connaissances. Productions de l'Association mondiale de la Route en faveur du Transfert de Technologie D'une mani�re certaine, les productions de I'AIPCR sont toutes orient�es vers l'acquisition et le transfert de connaissances. Cependant, 3 titre d'exemple et pr�sentant un int�ret particulier pour les pays en d�veloppement ou en transition, on peut reveler dans le catalogue des publications de l'Association mondiale de la Route:
Citons d'abord, et au tout premier chef, le r�seau des membres de l'Association. Ce r�seau a une dimension r�ellement mondiale, puisqu'il s'appuie sur plus de quatre-vingt pays. 11 assure une couverture de tous les domaines d'int�ret li�s a l'infrastructure routi�re, puis-tue les questions de politique routi�re, de gestion des r�seaux routiers, de techniques routi�res, d'ouvrage d'art, d'envi ron ment, de s�cu rit�, et autres y so nt trait�es. Le r�seau offre une autre caract�- ristique: il est constitu� de b�n�voles dont les prestations sont capitalis�es comme la pro- pri�t� collective de l'Association, et donc de tous ses membres. Parmi les services de l'AIPCR en faveur du transfert de technologie, il convient de citer ensuite le R�seau mondial d'�changes, n� de I'AIPCR et du constat �tabli per son Comit� des d'�changes technologiques et du D�veloppement: le transfert de technologie le plus efficace pesse per des contacts personnels, principe d�ja appliqu� au sein du r�seau de l'AIPCR, mais dont ltextension de l'application posait des probl�mes organisationnels. C'est pourfaciliter la misecontactde ccux qui ont les questions avec des personnes susceptibles de r�pondre a ces questions qu'est n� le R�seau mondial d'�changes. 11 a longuement �t� question du R�seau mondial d'�changes (RME) au cours du pr�sent S�minaire. 11 suffit d'indiquer ici que les liens entre ce R�seau et I'AIPCR sont des liens entre organisations parentes, que l'AIPCR, es qualit�, participe au Conseil d'administration du RME et que, r�ciproquement, le RME participe aux activit�s du Comit� des �changes technologiques et du D�veloppement de l'AIPCR et que, surtout, les deux organisations ont besoin l'une de l'autre pour accomplir chacune leur mission. Enfin, permi les services actuels de l'Association mondiale de la Route pour le transfert de technologie en faveur des PED/ PET, il convient mentionner le Fonds sp�cial de l'AIPCR. Ce Fonds est destin� a faciliter la participation des membres de PED/PET aux activit�s des Comit�s et Groupes de l'AIPCR. Il sert en pratique a payer une partie des frais de transport ou de s�jour de ces membres aux r�unions et aux Congr�s, car il est souvent difficile pour ces pays de g�gager les moyens financiers correspondants. Conclusion Le transfert de technologie est au centre des pr�occupations et des actions de l'Association mondiale de la Route. Il constitue la v�ritable raison d'�tre de cette Association. Enfin, la coop�ration entre organisations internationales est jug�e essentielle per l'Assiciation mondiale de la Route; elle doit permettre de conjuguer les efforts de tous en faveur du plus grand nombre. (L'Abr�g� de l'expos� de Patrice Retour, Secr�taire g�n�ral adjoint de l'AIPCR)
Pictures from the Seminar Pic. 5: Seminar. First row from left: Carl-Olof Ternryd (Sweden), Jouko Loikkanen (Finland), King Gee and John Cutrell (USA), Yvan Demers and Jean-Pierre Tass� (Canada). Pic. 6: Exhibition, WIN stand. Jean-Pierre Tass� (Canada), Permanent Secretary of WIN (right), with visitors. From left Boris Spassov (Bulgaria), Jan Jusl�n (Finland) and Benjamina Valeckait� (Lithuania). Pic. 7: Reception. Among others: Hillar Varik (Estonia), Michel Ray (France), Jukka Torniainen and Jarkko Saisto (Finland). Pic. 8: WIN Board of Directors Meeting. Yvan Demers (Canada), Chairman of the Board (right) and Raimo Tapio (Finland), one of the Board members (left).
NODES OF WORLD INTERCHANGE NETWORK (WIN)
(COUNTRY/NODE NAME/DIRECTOR, RESPONSIBLE PERSONS/ADDRESS)
Argentina
Argentina
Australia & New Zealand
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Canada
Canada
China
Cuba
Finland
France
India
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Morocco
The Netherlands
Poland
Poland
Romania
Singapore
Spain
Taiwan
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America
United States of America |