A system analysis is used to serve as a knowledge-base for regional infrastructure planning. Its starting-point is a current state analysis that aims to define e.g. the stream of goods, commuting, the quantity of goods handled in ports, and the speed levels of railways. Such analyses are often regional, but the E12 Atlantica Transport project aims to implement the first cross-border analysis of the areas surrounding the E12 Corridor.
Katarina Lundström from MidtSkandia was one of the participants to define the focus areas for the analysis’s
The project partners assembled for their first working meeting in October. Their plan was to define the analysis’s focus areas together – that is to say, to discuss the region’s starting-points and conditions that need to be highlighted on the basis of issues that are important to the partners. The system analysis is implemented by Ramboll and divided into three phases. The project partners will meet during all phases.
“The system analysis forms the basis for the continued work within the E12 Atlantica Transport project, so it was rewarding to see that over 30 persons showed up for the meeting. The project group, together with Ramboll, has chosen workshops as the working method, thus allowing all the partners to participate in the formulation of the analysis’s content,” Mr Andreas Forsgren, Project Leader and Infrastructure Strategist for the Municipality of Umeå, explains.
VASEK’s Logistics Expert and member of the project group, Ms Anna Måtts-Fransén, adds that the previous analyses regarding the region are getting old and they are also fragmented.
“The E12 Corridor has been examined earlier, but the current system analysis comprehensively studies the infrastructure along the corridor in all three countries. It also investigates how the completed investments affect the system. The data bank that will be created is expected to have a validity period of circa five years. We will finally receive a summary of all official data concerning the whole corridor and a collection of information that we can utilize for many years to come.”
Lars Brummer, Ramboll, illustrated the E12 Corridor’s current state
On the meeting’s first day, Ramboll illustrated the E12 Corridor’s current state with the help of various maps, which incited discussions about e.g. freight and passenger traffic along roads and railways, travel and transport chains, functional labour markets, and commuting areas. The participants especially wanted to know if the workgroup considered the materials to be reliable and if the consultants had managed to attain the best possible data.
“The project’s goal and challenge is to create comprehensive background materials – that is to say, a collection of official data that can be used as a tool to facilitate the Transport Administration’s work and as support for political decision-making. Such a data collection illustrates the project partners’ cooperation wishes and issues that they wish will receive attention in the project’s traffic strategy,” Forsgren summarizes.
Ramboll will complement the map materials based on the workshop discussions and is grateful for all the tips regarding previously implemented analyses.
“We hope that as many people as possible will be able to attend even our next meeting, where our objective is to reach consensus concerning the mutual goals for the transport system along the E12 Corridor,” Måtts-Fransén adds.
The next working meeting will be held on Tuesday November 29th in Lycksele, Sweden. The participants will discuss mutual targets and sub-targets for the E12 Corridor’s transport system. Topics that will be covered are e.g. regional development targets (both national and local), the mutual vision, significant geographical points-of-interest, and infrastructural quality objectives. These will afterwards be ranked and rendered measurable via indicators.
Do you want to learn more about the system analysis and its process, preconditions and structure? Read more from the Transport Administration’s Guidance for a Regional System Analysis HERE (in swedish).
E12 Atlantica Transport – The project is a cross-border cooperation between partners in Finland, Sweden and Norway along the E12, focusing on development of a functional multi-modal transport route for goods and passengers, joint strategies for cross-border planning and future cooperation structures.
E12 Atlantica Transport partners
Kvarken Council (Lead part, FI), MidtSkandia (NO), Blå Vägen (SE) Region Västerbotten (SE), Regional Council of Ostrobothnia (FI), Nordland fylkeskommune (NO) Vaasa Regional Development Company VASEK (FI), Umeå Municipality (SE), Vännäs Municipality (SE), Vindeln Municipality (SE), Lycksele Municipality (SE), Storuman Municipality (SE), Infrastruktur i Umeå AB INAB (SE), Rana Utviklingsselskap AS (NO), Rana Municipality (NO), Polarsirkeln lufthavnutvickling (NO), Port of Mo i Rana (NO), Mo Industripark AS (NO), Alastahaug havnevesen KF (NO), Helgeland Havn IKS (NO)