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IBDiM will soon start working on an infrastructure project that will be carried out under the Operational Program, Innovative Economy, Activity 2.1 "Development of centers of high research potential". The aim of the Project is to create a unique pavement testing mobile lab, at an international level. The laboratory aims for research works at the European level and as well for the growth of the Polish economy.

The President of the EC, Jose Manuel Barosso has named his proposed team for the next Commission.  Máire Geoghegan-Quinn from Ireland will take responsiblity for Research, Innovation and Science, whilst the previous Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik will move to Environment.

The annual conference of the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP) was held this week in Brussels.  FEHRL played a substantial role with presentations of five projects and contributed to the initiative to create a specific Task Force on Infrastructures.

Agnieszka Lukasiewicz of IBDiM Poland has been awarded the Silver Badge of Honor of the Scientific Society for Organization and Management (TNOiK) Poland.

FEHRL Secretariat welcomes Imre Keseru to the team. During his 4.5 month secondment, Imre will be involved in the preparation of FP7 project proposals due in January 2010 and assist the Research Infrastructures Assessment Working Group. Imre graduated from the University of Szeged in Hungary in geography, urban planning and economics and has an MSc degree in Transport Planning from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom. He worked at the International Department of the Ministry of Transport of Hungary for six years before joining KTI Institute for Transport Sciences in 2008 where he is deputy head of the Division for Network Planning and Transport Organization.

The FEHRL Office in Brussels, Belgium is looking to recruit a Finance Officer to support its portfolio of research project activities. This is a fulltime post at the FEHRL Secretariat, located in Woluwe, 1200 Brussels. The starting date will be expected in December 2009/January 2010. For the full job description, please visit our careers page.

The ECA reviewed the so-called New Instruments introduced in FP6 and concluded their objectives were only partially achieved. ‘Networks of Excellence’ did not often achieve a progressive and self-sustainable integration of the research activities between the network partners. ‘Integrated projects’ failed to attract more resources from individual participants and additional sources of public and private financing.

The 21st FEHRL General Assembly, which took place in Budabest, Hungary, on October 8th and 9th 2009, has elected Bojan Leben (ZAG) as the new FEC Chairman.  Mr. Leban will be taking over for Mr. Govert Sweere who served as FEC Chairman since 2006. Martin Pipa (CDV) and Sandra Erkens (DVS) have also be elected to join the Executive Committee. All of the newly elected members will serve on the FEC for a three-year term.

Five years of air quality research have yielded a vast amount of knowledge on both the impact of several mitigation measures, as well as suitable air quality measuring methods. On November 25th and 26th 2009 the Air Quality Innovation Programme will present the results of five years of research at a dedicated international conference in Rotterdam - The Netherlands. To register and for more information, please click here.