FCP FRITSCH, CHIARI & PARTNER ZIVILTECHNIKER GMBH

Their core work

FCP Fritsch, Chiari & Partner is an Austrian chartered civil engineering firm (Ziviltechniker) specializing in railway infrastructure — specifically the structural assessment, maintenance, and innovation of tracks, switches, crossings, bridges, and tunnels. In the H2020 context, they contribute structural engineering expertise to the Shift2Rail railway research programme, helping develop smarter maintenance strategies and decision support tools for rail asset management. Their work sits at the intersection of civil engineering and digital asset management for Europe's rail networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early phase (2016–2019), FCP focused on physical railway infrastructure — tracks, switches and crossings, bridges and tunnels — contributing traditional structural engineering knowledge to the Shift2Rail programme. By the later phase (2019–2023), a clear shift emerged toward intelligent asset management and decision support systems, suggesting FCP is moving from purely structural expertise into digitally-enhanced maintenance planning. The physical infrastructure knowledge remains, but the digital layer is growing.

FCP is evolving from a traditional civil engineering contributor toward a partner that bridges physical infrastructure expertise with digital maintenance and decision support — valuable for future smart rail projects.

How they like to work

FCP consistently participates as a partner rather than a coordinator, joining large Shift2Rail consortia (64 unique partners across 4 projects). Their repeat involvement in the IN2SMART and IN2TRACK project series suggests they are a trusted, reliable contributor that consortium leaders invite back for follow-on work. This is a specialist you bring in for specific civil engineering expertise, not a project driver.

FCP has built connections with 64 unique consortium partners across 13 countries, entirely through the Shift2Rail programme. This gives them a strong network within Europe's railway research community, though their reach is concentrated in the transport sector.

What sets them apart

FCP brings the perspective of a practising chartered civil engineering firm to EU railway research — they are not a university or research institute but an engineering consultancy that works on real infrastructure. This means their input is grounded in practical design and assessment experience, not just theory. For consortium builders, they offer a credible industry voice on structural feasibility and maintenance realities for tracks, bridges, and tunnels.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IN2SMART2
  Their largest funded project (EUR 111,000), marking the shift toward intelligent asset management and decision support systems for rail.
• IN2TRACK2
  Focused on radical innovations in track and switch/crossing systems — the project where FCP's core structural expertise is most visible.