15 September 2015 - 16 September 2015
IIASA
Development of Transport and Infrastructure in Eurasia
Currently, shipping by sea is the main channel for transporting goods between Europe and the Asia Pacific, while land corridors through Central Asia are seldom used. It is not only suppliers and consumers that may benefit from activating transcontinental transport corridors - they can also support economic growth of the transit countries. A number of large transport and infrastructure projects have been suggested which now require systematic assessment in all relevant dimensions from economic to social, to environmental.
The workshop focuses on major aspects related to transport and infrastructure development. It is expected to generate the following outcomes
- a comprehensive review of the nexus of economic integration and modernization of passenger and freight transport and logistics infrastructure; including railways (notably, high-speed ground transportation), automobile roads, air and maritime transport; and their impacts on economic, national security, social and environmental stability;
- analysis of the future of transportation corridors in Eurasia: prospects for cooperation between countries around the construction, modernization and further development of Eurasian transport corridors (such as Great Silk Road, Maritime Silk Road, Trans-Siberian Railway, The Northern Sea Route) until 2030, in particular, developments of trans-border transport infrastructures and perspectives of the Trans-Eurasian transit;
- a detailed survey of opportunities for cooperation, feasibility and possibilities for win-win solutions in the context of large infrastructure (gas pipelines, waterways, etc.) developments in Eurasia.
Research Project "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Integration within a wider European and Eurasian Space"
The international and interdisciplinary research project “Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Integration within a wider European and Eurasian Space”, which was launched by IIASA in 2013, aims to discuss and analyse issues of economic integration within the Eurasian continent. European and Eurasian cooperation extends to the key Asian players, such as China, Korea and Japan, as well as the USA. The multidisciplinary approach of the project include economic, technological, institutional, demographic, sectorial (finance and investment, energy, infrastructure, etc.) aspects of Pan-European/Eurasian development.
The three-year research project consists of a series of workshops at which specific aspects of integration are discussed by scientists and stakeholders representing all interested regions; follow-up discussion summaries outline the state-of-the-art in this field and reflect on different futures.
The project has been discussed and initially supported by the European Commission, the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and some other European and Eurasian institutions.
As a result of this project’s international multidisciplinary and independent nature, it is well positioned to provide scientific substantiation in support of possible options for trade policies across all major parties involved in this region, in addition to its scientific methodological contributions.
Photos from the Workshop
