PLASSER & THEURER EXPORT VON BAHNBAUMASCHINEN GESELLSCHAFT MBH

Their core work

Plasser & Theurer is a major Austrian manufacturer of railway track construction and maintenance machinery. In H2020, they contribute industrial expertise on track infrastructure — specifically the design, performance, and maintenance of tracks, switches, crossings, bridges, and tunnels. Their participation in the IN2TRACK project series (three consecutive phases) shows they serve as a consistent industry partner bringing real-world railway engineering knowledge to research consortia focused on next-generation rail infrastructure. Their role is to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical deployment of improved track and switching systems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Plasser & Theurer's H2020 involvement spans 2016–2023 across three phases of the same flagship programme (IN2TRACK), showing deepening rather than broadening engagement. The early phase (IN2TRACK, 2016) covered the fundamentals of tracks, switches, crossings, bridges, and tunnels with a modest budget contribution (EUR 43K). By IN2TRACK2 and IN2TRACK3, their financial commitment grew nearly tenfold (to EUR 399K), and "radical innovations" appeared as a new keyword — suggesting they moved from observing research outcomes to actively investing in disruptive track technology development.

Their sharply increasing funding commitment across three project phases signals a company transitioning from cautious R&D participation to serious investment in next-generation railway infrastructure technology.

How they like to work

Plasser & Theurer operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator — typical for a large industrial company that contributes domain expertise without taking on project management overhead. With 52 unique consortium partners across 13 countries from just 3 projects, they work in very large consortia (averaging 17+ partners per project), which is characteristic of Shift2Rail / railway research programmes. They are a loyal programme partner, staying with the IN2TRACK initiative through all three phases rather than diversifying across unrelated calls.

Despite only three projects, Plasser & Theurer has built a network of 52 partners across 13 countries — a reflection of the large, pan-European railway research consortia they participate in. Their network spans the major European rail nations and includes infrastructure managers, research institutes, and other rail technology suppliers.

What sets them apart

Plasser & Theurer is the world's dominant manufacturer of track laying and maintenance machines — a position that makes them an irreplaceable industry voice in any EU research project about railway track infrastructure. Their sustained commitment across all three IN2TRACK phases, with growing financial investment each time, shows they are not a token industrial partner but an organization genuinely integrating research outcomes into their product roadmap. For consortium builders in rail transport, having Plasser & Theurer on board brings immediate credibility with reviewers and a direct pathway to industrial deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IN2TRACK3
  Largest funding contribution (EUR 399K) — nearly 10x their initial IN2TRACK involvement — indicating the company's growing strategic commitment to EU rail R&D.
• IN2TRACK2
  Introduced 'radical innovations' as a research theme, marking a shift from incremental track improvement toward more ambitious technology development.