European Research Programmes Deputy Director
SNCF, France
Engineer from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Christophe Chéron began his SNCF career in the rolling stock domain (maintenance depots, engineering activities) in 1990. He joined the SNCF Technology and Research Department in 2003 to support the activities of the UIC Technical and research platform chaired by SNCF. Since 2007, he has managed the partnerships for research. He was involved in ERRAC, leader of the UIC Research Coordination Group, member of the French Research National Agency Transport programme steering committee, making SNCF partner of more than 25 FP7 projects. In 2012, he joined on secondment the PREDIT secretariat (French research and innovation programme for surface transport) at the Transport Ministry. He participated to the granting process for the transport part of the Programme Investment for the Future (PIA) but also in many research programs or projects both at the national (IRT Railenium) and European level (Shift2Rail, DEUFRAKO, Eranet Transport 3, Eranet Electromobility+). In 2016, he joined again SNCF Innovation and Research to coordinate SNCF participation in Shift2Rail and to manage partnerships for research. He is the SNCF representative in the Europe’s Rail Governing Board, member of the ERRAC Steering Committee, member of the Strategic and Scientific Committee of the IRT Railenium.