Investment priorities in EU transport infrastructures: Key Findings from an Expert Perspective

Transport experts are calling for stronger investment in the physical layer of infrastructures while trust in AI remains limited, the findings of the Smart Transportation Alliance’s second Expert Perception Tracker survey suggest.

As Europe faces mounting pressure to modernise ageing infrastructure, accelerate decarbonisation, and ramp up its resilience and military preparedness, transport experts across Europe are urgently calling for further investment and stronger confidence in AI-driven decision-making. Meeting Europe’s ambitious transport targets will require stronger investment efforts to address persistent funding gaps.

The results of the 2/2026 STA Expert Perception Tracker reinforce this statement, offering a snapshot of expert sentiment on one of the sector’s most pressing questions: how should Europe finance and prioritise the transport systems of tomorrow, contributing to the economic growth of Europe?

The STA Expert Perception Tracker is a recurrent, short-format survey designed to capture expert sentiment and qualitative insights on key transport topics. The second survey was held from 15 to 29 May 2026, gathering over 106 responses from transport professionals across 21 countries.

KEY FINDINGS

Towards hybrid financing models for Europe’s transport infrastructure investments
More than 43.4% of the respondents favour a hybrid model combining public budgets and public-private partnerships as the most optimal model for EU transport infrastructure investments, while a further 30.1% support a primarily publicly financed approach complemented by limited private participation. Meanwhile, only a small minority (3.8%) supports predominantly privately financed models.

_{Source: Rudmer Zwerver}

According to Thierry Vaneslander, Professor at the University of Antwerp and Member of the STA Management Committee, the results clearly highlight that “decision-makers are well-aware about public budget constraints as well as the potential that public-private funding has for project efficiency and effectiveness.”

“Decision-makers are well-aware about public budget constraints as well as the potential that public-private funding has for project efficiency and effectiveness”

Tackling the finance challenge of transport infrastructure modernisation.
While Europe is investing heavily in digitalisation and electrification, nearly 9 out of 10 experts believe that stronger investment in the physical layer of transport infrastructure is necessary, as transport systems become increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Almost half of the respondents strongly agree that increased investment in physical infrastructure should become a priority, while a further 40% agree to that.

As José Manuel Vassallo, Professor at the Technical University of Madrid, Director of the Transportation Research Center (TRANSyT) and Chair of STA Technical Committee on Financing, states, “the findings are not surprising, as digitalisation and climate resilience do require substantial investment, but these transitions ultimately rely on strong physical infrastructure.”

_{Source: Svetlana Diacenco}

“The findings are not surprising, as digitalisation and climate resilience do require substantial investment, but these transitions ultimately rely on strong physical infrastructure.”

AI-driven decision-support systems are welcome, but trust gaps remain.
A clear message emerged concerning the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the decision-making process. The overwhelming majority of experts recognise the value of AI-supported investment tools and digital decision-support systems. However, there remains an overall mistrust, as the experts perceive these tools as informative and useful supporting mechanisms but not as decisive instruments for investment decisions. At the same time, a smaller proportion (9.18%) consider them insufficiently reliable for critical investment decision-making.

_{Source: Gepapix}

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

The results of the 2/2026 STA Expert Perception Tracker suggest that investment mechanisms, AI-supported tools, and public-private collaboration should be integrated earlier into project planning, procurement, financing, monitoring, and infrastructure management processes. Achieving future-proof transport infrastructures will require well-structured public-private collaboration, investment in physical infrastructure modernisation, and long-term support for Europe’s transport ambitions.

The 3/2026 version of the STA Expert Perception Tracker will be launched in July 2026 and will focus on sustainability and transport infrastructure construction and management. You can find out more information about the STA Expert Perception Tracker, and the STA itself: HERE.