Would you like to be a captain for a day? And also chart your own course? It’s possible! The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment will host a conference on 27-28 September in Rotterdam, titled: ‘Behaviour in Sustainable Mobility and Logistics’. The conference, held aboard the SS Rotterdam cruise ship, is co-organised by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research and supported by the European Commission.

Berthed with likeminded crewmates
You will not be the only captain on board. The conference will be attended by some 100 leading civil servants, scientists and representatives of knowledge institutions and planning agencies throughout Europe. A Steering Group – including members as Glenn Lyons (University of the West of England) – is in charge of organizing the conference.

Charting the course: sustainable mobility through greater insights into behaviour
Policy makers in various European countries, as well as those in the European Commission, recognise the need for better insight into mobility and logistics behaviour, in order to design and implement effective policies for sustainable transport. Advances in behavioural sciences now open up new possibilities for gaining better insights into the behaviour of various actors, the intricate interactions and the influencing factors.

In order to be able to really go into depth, small breakout sessions will be organised covering the most important thematic topics identified.

Contribute your own themes
During the conference, both substantive and methodological themes will be addressed: the ‘Impact of new technologies on behaviour’; ‘Social networks (both on- and offline) and behaviour’; ‘Trends and developments that influence behaviour’; ‘The success and failures of behaviour analysis frameworks’; and ‘Living labs’.

Everything depends on your contributions. In addition to the abovementioned themes, which we will develop together with you, there are also other set subjects that you may suggest for discussion at the conference. We will assess these suggestions and then, accordingly, add one or more themes.

All hands on deck
Aan dek.jpgThe conference will be held on board a cruise ship, yet you will not be sailing as a passenger. Rather, you are a member of the crew, which means: all hands on deck. Moreover, your contribution starts from the moment you join. Consequently, we would like to hear who or what were important sources of inspiration for you in recent years, given the themes of the symposium. You will also receive this information prior to joining the symposium.

What the trip offers
It promises to be a short but enervating trip, including:
· impact on the research agenda of the future;
· insight into state of the art behavioural research;
· a unique network of civil servants, scientists and practitioners;
· an introduction to the dynamic port city of Rotterdam and its Katendrecht neighbourhood, once the city’s red light district but now a vibrant area replete with world-renowned restaurants, cafes and theatres. Your overnight accommodation is aboard the SS Rotterdam (including a Captain’s dinner).

Where will we berth?
When you come aboard, there will be much work to be done and superb material available for finalising the “Strategic Directions Paper”. This paper is a crucial contributor to the research agenda on behaviour in sustainable mobility and logistics, and includes a series of research questions on specific topics for developing new or additional knowledge, in order to craft effective policies with a horizon of ten to twenty years. This “Strategic Directions Paper” will also be presented to the European Commission as input for the planning of relevant programmes for research and innovation.

You will receive the first draft of the Strategic Directions Paper and the full program in due course. Participation in the conference is by invitation only and free of charge. Travel and hotel stay are on own account. Since room aboard the ship is limited, registration is according to the ‘first come, first served’ principle. In case you are not able to join personally, but you wish to send another representative; please notify the organisation.