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TRADE POLICY/ NEGOTIATIONS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION INITIATIVES Science
and Technology (S&T) Cooperation Initiatives: The Assistant
Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs serves as the lead
representative for the United States to promote the interaction, of
Background: 1. S&T Cooperation Initiative with Japan Over the past eight years, the DOT and the Japanese Ministry of Construction and Transport have convened annual plenary meetings to advance transportation technology sharing. Both sides recognize the importance of technology collaboration and share the common goals for continued development of an integrated, efficient, safe, secure, reliable, and environmentally friendly transport system. The 8th Plenary of U.S.-Japan S&T Transportation Experts was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 23-25, 2002. During the plenary, the U.S. and Japan reviewed progress made in the areas of rail cooperation, rail seismic design, intelligent transportation systems, environmentally friendly vehicles, accessibility for the mobility disabled, and the development of infrastructure systems for intermodal transportation in port areas. The U.S. gave presentations on the following topics: maritime transportation security, noise abatement, and advance design technologies for airport pavement, while our Japanese counterparts gave a presentation on high-speed rail transportation safety. The Plenary included an international workshop on transportation access for people with disabilities, which consisted of representatives of the U.S. and Japanese governments, international disability communities from Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Germany, and the United States, and an international panel of government and private industry officials. The plenary concluded with a briefing and site tour of the construction of the Hoover Dam bridge Bypass. The next plenary will be held in Japan in the fall of 2003. 2. S&T Cooperation Initiative with Korea On June 12, 1995, former Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena and former Korean Minister of Construction and Transportation (KMOCT) Oh Myung signed a science and technology Implementing Arrangement that authorizes science and technology cooperation in the areas of transportation safety, planning, system operations and policies. The Department hosted the 2nd Plenary of U.S.-Korea S&T Transportation Experts in Washington, DC, on January 17, 2003. The meeting consisted of technical sessions on the following topics:
At the conclusion of the meeting, technical experts from both sides expressed interest in continuing substantive discussions, exchanging information on the topics presented, and learning more about each other's systems and practices. The 3rd U.S. and Korean Transportation Experts Meeting will be held in Seoul in 2004. 3. Potential S&T Cooperation with Spain On November 18, 2002, Secretary Mineta participated in the U.S.-Spain Forum on Transportation and Housing Finance held in Washington, DC. The impetus for this forum was a meeting between HUD Secretary Mel Martinez and Spanish Minister of Transportation and Development Francisco Alvarez-Cascos in March 2002. They concluded that there is mutual interest in U.S.-Spain cooperation and agreed to work together through a series of forums on three topics: finance, historic preservation, and construction technology. The forum brought together housing and transportation experts from the public and private sectors of both nations to share information on innovative solutions to housing and transportation challenges. At the forum, Secretary Mineta emphasized the many ties between the United States and Spain, and stressed the importance of the forum and the significance that both Spain and the United States attach to addressing housing and transportation issues. The Secretary presented an overview of U.S. transportation and infrastructure and financing policies, followed by technical discussions from senior transportation officials on highway, rail and public transit issues. The second forum was held in Madrid, and the third will be held in Miami on June 17-18, 2003. The forums are expected to promote significant cooperative initiatives between the Department and Spanish Ministry of Transportation and Development as well as promote new opportunities for public-private partnerships. As
a follow up to this new initiative, officials of the Federal Transit
Administration and the Office of the Secretary participated in the International
Association for Public Transport Annual World Congress scheduled in
Madrid, Spain, on May 4-8, 2003. This event will benefit US firms in
showcasing latest technologies and U.S. government practices in urban
transport and services with Spain and other foreign entities in attendance.
During the conference, DOT will explore opportunities to work more closely
with the Spanish Ministry of Transportation and Development to promote
joint collaborative efforts in the field of transportation science and
technology. Revised on
Friday, January 16, 2004
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