INSTYTUT KOLEJNICTWA

Their core work

Instytut Kolejnictwa (Railway Research Institute) is Poland's national research centre for railway transport, covering infrastructure, rolling stock, energy systems, and passenger services. Within H2020, they contributed expertise on railway station modernization, energy metering for rail power supply, and emerging transport concepts including hyperloop feasibility. They also worked on extending rail attractiveness through Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) digital platforms for traveller experience improvement.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IK's early H2020 involvement (2017) centred on traditional railway infrastructure — station design, energy supply, and smart metering for rail power systems via IN2STEMPO. By 2020, their focus shifted markedly toward future transport concepts: hyperloop feasibility studies and digital service platforms (MaaS, SaaS) for passenger experience. This trajectory suggests a deliberate move from physical rail infrastructure toward next-generation transport modes and digital mobility services.

IK is moving from traditional rail infrastructure research toward future transport modes and digital mobility platforms, positioning itself as a bridge between conventional railway expertise and emerging transport ecosystems.

How they like to work

IK primarily operates as a third-party contributor (2 of 3 projects), providing specialized railway expertise to larger consortia rather than leading or even fully participating. Their 54 unique partners across 14 countries — a high number relative to just 3 projects — indicate they join large, multi-national consortia typical of Shift2Rail and transport infrastructure programmes. This is consistent with a national research institute that contributes domain knowledge on request rather than driving project agendas.

Despite limited direct participation, IK has touched 54 unique consortium partners across 14 countries, reflecting the large-scale transport consortia they contribute to. Their network spans much of the EU, driven by the broad membership of major rail research initiatives.

What sets them apart

As Poland's dedicated railway research institute, IK brings national-level rail sector authority and testing infrastructure that few other Polish organizations can match. Their combination of traditional rail engineering knowledge with early involvement in hyperloop feasibility makes them a useful partner for projects that need to bridge conventional rail and future transport. For consortium builders, they offer credible Polish representation in transport projects with genuine technical depth in rail systems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HYPERNEX
  One of the foundational EU efforts to map the European hyperloop ecosystem — an unusual and forward-looking topic for a traditional railway institute.
• IN2STEMPO
  A large-scale, long-running project (2017-2023) on future railway stations and energy systems, likely linked to the Shift2Rail initiative.