Official Opening of the SUTLab Laboratory within the ISDEGO Project
The official opening of the SUTLab laboratory took place at the National Transport University. SUTLab is a modern educational and research space of the Department of Transport Systems and Road Safety of NTU, established within the framework of the ISDEGO project.
The university management delivered welcome remarks and presented the initiative, including Oleksandr Kazymyrovych Hryshchuk, Rector of the National Transport University; Olena Serhiivna Slavinska, Vice-Rector for Research; and Vitalii Serhiiovych Kharuta, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and International Relations.
The participants emphasized the importance of developing modern infrastructure for training specialists in the fields of sustainable urban transport, transport planning, and road safety.
The SUTLab laboratory was established and funded within the framework of the Erasmus+ project with the co-financing of the European Commission. Its opening was made possible thanks to the support and expert guidance of European partner universities, which contribute to the implementation of modern approaches to training specialists in sustainable urban transport, intelligent transport systems, and integrated mobility.
The event was attended by representatives of stakeholders:
- Traffic Management Center: Tetiana Pavlenko, Head of the Communications Department; Stanislav Klymenko, Head of the Department for Designing Integrated Traffic Management Schemes and Organizing the Bicycle Network; Diana Datsenko, Deputy Head of the Department of Data Collection, Analytics and Modelling; representatives of the Service for the Implementation and Operation of Adaptive Traffic Light Control Systems;
- Bespalov LAB: Vitalii Boiko, Director of Bespalov Lab LLC;
- State Enterprise “National Institute for Infrastructure Development”: Volodymyr Kaskiv, Deputy Director for Research; Andrii Vozniuk, Head of the Digitalization Development Department;
- Kyivdormistproekt Institute: Volodymyr Vorobiov, Director;
- NGO “Kyiv Cyclists’ Association” / U-Cycle: Anastasiia Makarenko, Executive Director;
as well as lecturers, researchers, students, and project participants.
During the opening ceremony, the project team demonstrated the laboratory’s new equipment and presented the possibilities for its use in the educational process, scientific research, and practical training of students. In particular, the following equipment was presented:
- video detectors for traffic flow analysis and road situation monitoring;
- Oculus VR headsets for simulation-based learning, visualization of transport scenarios, and interactive work with students;
- PTV Vissim software for traffic flow modelling, capacity analysis, assessment of transport solutions, and development of urban mobility scenarios.
The participants learned how the SUTLab equipment is planned to be used for conducting laboratory classes, preparing student projects, modelling transport processes, analysing road safety, and developing the practical competencies of future transport specialists.
The equipment of the SUTLab laboratory will be actively used during laboratory classes delivered by the Department of Transport Systems and Road Safety of NTU, as well as within the new courses developed within the framework of the project:
- “Intelligent Transport Technologies for Integrated Mobility”;
- “Ecosystem Technologies for Sustainable Urban Transport”;
- “Fundamentals of Intelligent Transport Systems”;
- “Sustainable Transport in Urban and Rural Planning”.
Through the use of this equipment, students will be able to acquire practical skills in working with intelligent transport technologies, analyse traffic flows, model urban mobility scenarios, and apply modern digital tools to solve applied tasks in the field of sustainable transport.
Special attention was paid to the discussion with stakeholders on the further development of the laboratory and opportunities to deepen cooperation between the university, business, traffic management authorities, and research institutions. The participants discussed prospects for joint research, practical case studies for students, the development of new teaching materials, and the use of the laboratory as a platform for innovation in sustainable urban transport.
The opening of SUTLab became an important step in modernizing the educational environment of the National Transport University and strengthening the practical component of student training in the fields of transport systems, road safety, and sustainable urban mobility.
