Specific Challenge:
Ensuring the seamless integration and harmonisation of transport modes is essential to achieve a truly integrated freight transport and logistics system, which on the one hand, is able to manage efficiently the physical, information and financial flows and on the other hand, support less impacting and environmental sustainable logistics operations . Speeding up technological and organisational innovation uptake and adoption will support freight transport decarbonisation and competitiveness. To this purpose, the assessment of progress, gaps and barriers is necessary. It is also key to involve and engage the end users of multimodal end-to-end freight transport chains, as they are both the recipients of innovation (autonomous transport, electrification, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, robotic systems, further digitalisation, new transport modes, etc.) and the key actors in charge of developing the business cases for new technologies uptake.
Scope:Proposals shall address all of the following areas:
The analysis will extend beyond the work carried out within the projects, clearly evaluating the project outcomes’ impact, as well as the framework conditions and activities which support high impact of public R&I funding. It will also establish possible causal links between public R&I funding and technology innovation in a specific logistics area. The analysis will be complemented by clear recommendations on future R&I activities to achieve an efficient and sustainable freight transport and logistics system.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 1 million would allow the specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. As the focus of this action is on analysing the impact of EU-funded R&I projects, at least 50% of the budget will have to be dedicated to the activities described under the first two bullet points.
Expected Impact:The action will contribute to achieve the EU policy objectives for freight transport and logistics (e.g. zero city logistics emissions by 2030, zero logistics emissions by 2050, fully integrated multimodal transport system, efficient and sustainable logistic and freight operations) by providing a reasoned and detailed mapping and assessment of the EU-funded R&I project outcomes.
The action will also support technological and organisational innovation uptake and a more efficient use of the available research resources by engaging the wider community of stakeholders, establishing collaboration between industrial stakeholders and the society at large, encouraging exchanges of best practices at regional, national, European and global level, and linking to relevant sectors beyond freight transport and logistics.
[1]Strengthening European Transport Research and Innovation Strategies (http://newrail.org/setris/)
[2]« Towards a Single and Innovative European Transport System : Implementation of Multimodal Innovative Solutions » is an ongoing pilot action which helps matching EU funded R&I projects' suitable innovative solutions with the innovation needs of three actual multimodal hubs (see https://ec.europa.eu/transport/content/towards-single-and-innovative-european-transport-system-implementation-multimodal-innovative_en). The pilot action’s outcomes will be available at the beginning of 2020.
[3]Also taking into account the roadmap “A truly Integrated Transport System for Sustainable and Efficient Logistics” (http://www.etp-logistics.eu/?p=1298)