"SAFIER will build the strategies for implementing a step-change in the road transport sector - and more widely within the transport and energy sectors – by providing the objective, consensus-based plans for the European Technology Platform ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council), Since 2002 ERTRAC has been an open forum for all relevant stakeholders in the road transport research. SAFIER provides common agreement on the scenarios for the sectors urban mobility, long-distant transport, road transport safety, environment and energy, global competitiveness and enabling technologies.The crucial contribution that ERTRAC made towards the establishment of the European Research Area and achieving the Lisbon goals addressing the 21st Century’s key economic, technological, environmental and societal challenges for road transport will be continued. SAFIER will support the development of transport specific innovations that will deliver step changes into efficiency and cleanness in the next 20 years and beyond. SAFIER will lead to a radical change in the stimulation of the R&D of breakthrough technologies and concepts for transport.The involvement of all relevant parties will consider new approaches and models for implementing the radically new solutions (both in technology and ways of thinking) that will overcome the key challenges and in particular to address the impact on, and of, climate change and overcoming energy dependency. This includes that topics such as urban mobility and long distance transport will be discussed in an integrated way with other transport modes.Industry and public authorities will use the outputs of SAFIER to shape their R&D strategies to prioritise on areas of consensus and to coordinate research activities. SAFIER will demonstrate to decision makers that action is possible to address the climatic, energy, mobility, safety, and global competitiveness challenges facing Europe."