Under the title "20 Years of the Railway Innovation Network", the railway industry cluster Rail.S e. V. invited guests to its celebratory event in the Saxon Parliament on 7 October 2021. The patron of the event was the president of the state parliament, Dr. Matthias Rößler. The 150 or so guests included Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and Saxony's Minister of State for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport, Martin Dulig.

Prime Minister Kretschmer: Rail transport plays a key role in climate-friendly mobility

Prime Minister Kretschmer praised the commitment and contribution of the Rail.S network in the further development of Saxony as a location for the future: "The development of rail transport plays a key role for climate-friendly mobility. Low-emission, alternative drive systems as well as digitalisation and automation will determine the mobility of tomorrow. The Free State of Saxony is focusing on research and innovation in these future topics and supports networking. As one of the largest railway technology clusters in Germany, Rail.S is an important link between science, business and society. The innovative power of the Free State as a research and technology location in the rail transport sector is put on the right tracks here. With its work in Saxony, Rail.S makes a valuable contribution to cross-industry networking and the mobility turnaround in Germany and Europe."

The Saxon industry network Rail.S develops highly innovative solutions for more traffic on the railways

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arnd Stephan, Head of the Chair of Electric Railways at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden and Chairman of the Board of the Rail.S association said: "The EU climate targets make it clear - the aim is to get significantly more traffic onto the railways in the future. To achieve this, it is first necessary to increase the capacity on the existing rail transport infrastructure with new digital technologies. In addition, investments are needed in infrastructure and vehicles. But the attractiveness for passengers must also be increased and digital ticket solutions must become easier. We see ourselves as designers and co-thinkers of the mobility revolution. After all, the rail system is complex and only functions through the perfect interaction of numerous components and services in the vehicle and on the track, which come from many different suppliers. This means that innovations and new products can only be created in a network." This is exactly where the industry network Rail.S has been playing out its full strength for 20 years with today more than 100 members and access to 2,000 railway companies throughout Europe. "We network suppliers with customers, identify new business opportunities, bring medium-sized companies together with top research institutes and pave the way for new products. In this way, our work helps to ensure that the rail industry in Saxony and beyond is positioned for the future," Stephan continues.

"Rail technology made in Saxony" - exhibition presented numerous innovations from the industry

Rail.S is joining forces to shape the mobility of the future - not least as the sponsor of the SET4FUTURE innovation cluster funded by the Free State of Saxony. The accompanying exhibition "Railway Technology Made in Saxony" gave the guests the opportunity to get to know the innovative minds of the industry and their technologies and products. Among them were the winners of this year's SET4FUTURE Innovation Award 2021 as well as many other designers and supporters from the network, such as CERSS Kompetenzzentrum Bahnsicherungstechnik, CG Rail, Institut für Bahntechnik or IZP Dresden. Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs Martin Dulig personally saw for themselves the innovative spirit of the industry during a tour.