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Blog del BID sobre Transporte

Transport Policy Lab: Promoting Efficient and Sustainable Transport in Latin America and the Caribbean

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How can Washington, DC, Monterrey, Birmingham, and Barcelona, Texas researchers help the climate transition in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Climate transition is a significant challenge for developed and developing countries. Under the UN framework, countries must submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce emissions. In 2025, countries will be able to update their NDCs with more concrete and updated targets.

Transportation can be a key contributor to the climate transition, representing 25% to 40% of total emissions in each country. The transportation sector is a key driver for the transition to lower-carbon economies.

How can we make this transition happen?

Commitments are key, but how do we materialize them into policies—and, most importantly, policies that can be implemented and show actual results? How should we address the policy challenges to transition towards a low-carbon economy in the transportation sector?

The third meeting of the Transport Policy Lab took place in Monterrey, Mexico, in April of this year. Launched in 2023 by the IDB’s Transport Division, the initiative gathered top universities from around the world. It aims to create a network of applied research and projects to expedite the implementation of transportation policies, promote the decarbonization of transport, and improve the sector’s key role in terms of access, equity, and economic development.

Inspired by experiences in Europe, the US, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia, the Policy Lab is founded on three objectives:

  1. Strengthening networks, collaborations, and partnerships between the IDB, academia, and the public and private sectors.
  2. Providing accumulated expertise and research for policy formulation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
  3. Deep understanding of policy problems and design of solutions that are evidence-based and effectively implemented.

The third meeting was hosted by Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec Monterrey) with the participation of the University of Birmingham (UK), University of Barcelona (Spain), Unicamp (Brazil), Pennsylvania State University (USA), and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

Here are examples of projects presented during the session, addressing issues relevant to efficient and sustainable transport:

Tec de Monterrey

“Walking to School in Latin America” was a project presented by Professor Aleksandra Krstikj from Tec de Monterrey’s School of Architecture and Urbanism. Involving the University of EAFIT in Medellín, Tec de Monterrey, and the Instituto ProMorar in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, the project emphasizes researching the plight of vulnerable individuals, specifically children who perform the largest share of walking trips among demographics in Latin America. The aim is to identify children’s perceptions of space, areas they feel comfortable, and areas they avoid. Understanding how adults and children differ on the ideal city concept should guide better public policies and investments, while also promoting walking as a healthy, affordable, and efficient mode of transportation.

University of Birmingham

Marcelo Blumenfeld, Assistant Professor of Future Transport Systems at the University of Birmingham, UK, outlined the main objectives of the university’s transport research:

  • Applying systems to complex transport challenges.
  • Transforming current research practices to understand the realities of developing countries properly.
  • Addressing transport issues.

One highlighted project, “Accelerating Just Transitions to Clean Mobility in Latin American Countries,” is in partnership discussions with the IDB and other universities, including Tec de Monterrey.

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute, a state-owned agency in Texas, USA, focuses on transport innovation projects. The Institute has conducted research in all 50 US states and 52 countries. Mario Monsreal, a research scientist at the Institute, mentioned the “Adoption of Technology for Supply Chain Performance” project in partnership with the IDB. This project aims to raise awareness in both the public and private sectors about the benefits of adopting IoT technology to improve supply chain performance sustainably.

Unicamp – University of Campinas

Henrique Candido de Oliveira, a professor and part of the Transport and Logistics Laboratory at Unicamp in Campinas, Brazil, presented a project on mobility in the Amazon. “The research aims to use case studies to identify vulnerabilities in the Amazon region’s transport network,” said Oliveira, noting the collaboration with the IDB on this work.

The Policy Lab is consolidating as an important space for tackling difficult policy problems and connecting the academy with governments to make changes happen!

We will have more news to share at the next meeting, which will be held in the fall. In the meantime, you can access some of the policy lab’s projects and news in the links below.

Guest Author

Fabiana Santos
Journalist specializing in written journalism, TV, and social media. Master in Intercultural Relations. Consultant for the IDB and editor-in-chief of Portuguese for the International Journalists Network.


Reinaldo Fioravanti

Reinaldo is a Principal Specialist in the Transport Division of the IDB, Head Group responsible for Dialogues and New Business. Before joining the Bank, he worked as a supply chain manager at Hewlett Packard and as an associate researcher at the University of Campinas. He holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and in Supply Chain Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology / ZLC (Spain); and a Ph.D. in Transport Engineering from the University of Campinas.

Seungyeon Kim

Seungyeon Kim, a Dialogue and Diversity Consultant at the Transport Division of the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C., specializes in fostering dialogues and cultivating new business opportunities with clients across Latin America and the Caribbean. With a focus on inclusive infrastructure projects, she designs strategies to integrate diverse groups into transportation initiatives. Previously, she led efforts to secure funding and establish technical projects with Korean partners in the areas of intelligent transportation system, rural roads connectivity, digital transformation, and supply chain management in the transport sector. Seungyeon has expertise in developing, managing, and evaluating international development projects. Before joining the IDB, she started her career at the Organization of the American States (OAS) working for the social development of the LAC region. In Korea, she worked in a public institute and private consulting firm where she managed ODA (Official Development Assistance) projects between the Korean Government and countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa in various sectors of Energy, Environment, Public Health, Agriculture, and Entrepreneurship. She conducted evaluation and design of international cooperation strategies for government agencies such as KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and KEITI (Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute). She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Law, and in Spanish Language from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea.

Mónica Orellana

Mónica is a consultant in the Transport Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), based in Washington, D.C. Before joining the IDB, she worked as a consultant for the World Bank and as an international cooperation officer at the Embassy of Ecuador in the United States. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Universidad Casa Grande in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and a Master's degree in Communication and Political Marketing from Universidad Internacional de La Rioja in Spain. Additionally, she completed a specialized seminar in Media & Politics at Sciences Po in Paris. In the public sector, Mónica has held significant positions, including ministerial advisor and Subsecretary of Political Spokesmanship and Strategic Management in the Presidency of Ecuador. In the private sector, she has worked on political campaigns, at Latam Airlines, and was part of the Legal Department of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights. In 2015, she produced a photo report on the realities faced by Syrian refugee children in the Middle East and analyzed poverty conditions in South Africa.

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