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b'In this episode of Researching Transit, Professor Graham Currie speaks with Dr John Hult\\xe9n from K2; the Swedish Knowledge Centre for Public Transport. Directed by Dr Hult\\xe9n, K2 derives its name from the Swedish words kollektivtrafik (public transportation) and kunskap (knowledge). The centre was formed out of a drive for more comprehensive and integrated public transport research in 2013. It operates under a unique partnership model, bringing together two universities, a research institute and the three metropolitan regions which govern Sweden\\u2019s public transport. \\n\\nK2\\u2019s research agenda was defined by Sweden\\u2019s public transportation actors. Focus areas include:\\n\\u2022\\tthe future of mobility, \\n\\u2022\\tmarkets for, and funding of, public transport, \\n\\u2022\\tthe impact of interventions on public transport performance, \\n\\u2022\\tintegrated transport planning and \\n\\u2022\\tpublic transport for all, which captures the social aspects of public transport. \\n\\nThis interdisciplinary agenda reflects the decision-making focus that Dr Hult\\xe9n, a political scientist by training, regards as an important and traditionally overlooked research area for public transport. The centre oversees both small, rapid projects; as well as larger projects. A requirement of project funding is a certain level of engagement and co-development of research projects with the public transport industry. \\n\\nDr Hult\\xe9n shares some lessons about the ingredients for successful collaboration between research and practice. Relationships, trust and being able to articulate added value lie at the heart of K2\\u2019s success. Their added value is its critical mass of important partners, and its ability to provide a one-stop shop for practitioners to engage with academia. \\n\\nCurrent issues for public transport research in Sweden include the future of public transport, sustainable mobility choices outside cities and procurement. \\n\\nRecent focus on increasing transit\\u2019s market share has seen transit concentrated into cities, where there is high ridership demand. Yet in Sweden, a large proportion of the population lives outside the city. New ways must be found to provide sustainable mobility choices for people living outside urban areas. \\n\\nK2 also has a strong focus on procurement. Their research continues to investigate the effect of incentives in public transport operating contract on ridership performance. So far, no conclusive evidence that incentives promote ridership. \\n\\n\\u201cIncentives are not enough. You also need to have freedom to do things as an operator. If you don\\u2019t have that freedom, you can\\u2019t change anything in accordance with incentives.\\u201d\\n\\nAs in many other countries and cities, Swedish public transport fares are fixed, as are service areas and route alignments. This inhibits operators\\u2019 ability to innovate to meet the incentives. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the lack of sensitivity of contracting arrangements to the ridership fluctuation experienced during the COVI-19 pandemic. \\n\\nTo access K2\\u2019s research outputs, visit http://www.k2centrum.se/en. Dr Hult\\xe9n encourages anyone interested in collaborating with K2 to get in touch. \\n\\nSing up for updates when we release shows: http://eepurl.com/g9tCdb\\n\\nMusic from this episode is from https://www.purple-planet.com'