From 10 October eight PhD candidates will start working in the joint Shell TU Delft research programme Sustainable Mobility. The research subjects vary from sustainable hydrogen production to traffic regulations models for reducing fine particle emissions. The programme is a four-year joint project, in which Shell will invest 3 million euro and TU Delft 1.5 million euro. Both organisations share the vision that universities and companies working together are the driving forces behind innovation.
The programme's governing board, comprised of three Shell representatives and three TU Delft representatives, has selected eight candidates from the 54 extremely diverse research proposals submitted for consideration. Each of these research proposals will be carried out by a PhD candidate at TU Delft, during the four-year period of 2006 to 2010. The first research findings of the Shell/TU Delft Sustainable Mobility Programme are expected in 2010.
The eight subjects that received a research grant:
Transport modelling with the purpose of improving traffic flows
The agreement between Shell and TU Delft is for four years. Shell will contribute 750,000 euro per year to the research; TU Delft will contribute 375,000 per year. Shell retains the intellectual property rights of the research findings resulting from the programme. TU Delft retains the right to use the findings for its own follow-up research.
In Shell's and TU Delft's shared vision, universities and companies working together are the driving force behind the capacity for innovation in the Netherlands. This creates economic value and helps to solve social problems. Through this joint Sustainable Mobility Programme, new technological possibilities will be researched that offer commercial possibilities for sustainable business.