FORUM DES LABORATOIRES NATIONAUX EUROPEENS DE RECHERCHE ROUTIERE FEHRLAISBL

Their core work

FEHRL is the association of European national road research laboratories, acting as the coordinating body that aligns road infrastructure research priorities across Europe. They bring together national highway research centres to define strategic research agendas, run transport research competitions and conferences (notably the TRA series), and coordinate collaborative projects on road safety, asset management, and infrastructure resilience. Their practical value lies in being the bridge between national road agencies and EU-funded research, ensuring that laboratory findings translate into infrastructure policy and practice across member states.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), FEHRL focused heavily on traditional road infrastructure concerns: safety coordination (ECOROADS), asset management frameworks (AM4INFRA), open infrastructure concepts (FOX), and transport workforce skills (SKILLFUL). From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted toward resilience, digital technologies, and environmental integration — projects like RESIST, MYRIAD-EU, RIMA, InfraROB, and BISON show growing attention to climate adaptation, robotic inspection, and biodiversity. This evolution tracks the broader EU transport policy shift from building and maintaining roads to making infrastructure climate-proof, digitally monitored, and ecologically responsible.

FEHRL is moving from traditional road engineering coordination toward climate-resilient, digitally monitored, and biodiversity-conscious transport infrastructure — making them increasingly relevant for cross-sector consortia combining transport with environment and digital themes.

How they like to work

FEHRL operates predominantly as a participant (23 of 27 projects) rather than a coordinator, which reflects their role as a network organisation that contributes expertise and connects national labs rather than leading technical development. They have worked with 275 unique partners across 32 countries, making them a genuine hub in the European transport research landscape. Their heavy involvement in CSA (Coordination and Support Action) projects — 15 out of 27 — confirms their identity as a coordination and strategy body rather than a hands-on R&D performer.

With 275 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, FEHRL has one of the broadest networks in European road research. Their reach spans virtually all EU and associated countries, reflecting their membership base of national road research laboratories.

What sets them apart

FEHRL is not a single research lab — it is the forum that connects Europe's national highway research laboratories into a coordinated voice. This meta-level position means partnering with FEHRL gives you access to the entire network of national road research centres, not just one institution. For consortium builders, FEHRL provides instant credibility in transport proposals and a direct channel to national infrastructure agencies that set road policy and budgets.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BISON
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 472K) and represents FEHRL's expansion into biodiversity — a strategic new direction connecting transport infrastructure with environmental goals.
• SKILLFUL
  Coordinator role with EUR 452K funding, focused on future transport workforce competences — showing FEHRL's capacity to lead projects beyond pure infrastructure engineering.
• InfraROB
  Combines autonomous robotics with road maintenance — a concrete example of FEHRL bridging traditional road infrastructure with Industry 4.0 automation technologies.