In 2021, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has started to lead a new project to tackle the future challenges in the freight and logistics area. Funded under European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, Smart freight TranspOrt and logistics Research Methodologies – STORM project aims at investigating the transformation and structural changes in freight and logistics business operations from different perspectives. In particular, the project is focusing on future challenges and requirements of the sector by developing new procedures and tools to support digitalisation, sustainability transition, and future policy requests.
Project concept
The STORM project will start by screening existing trends and challenges of the freight and logistics sectors to identify new needs and knowledge gaps. In parallel to this, new sources of data enabled by the digitalization will be assessed. Later, along with new methods and tools for analysis of the structural changes, as well as for processing of big data will be used to empower three use case scenarios for zero-emission freight focused on data analytics of zero-emission trucks and optimal charging network design, green city logistics, aiming at optimization the inner city flows and policy analysis to follow up the structural changes in logistics through agent-based simulation. As a result of the project, recommendations for future business, research and policies will be provided, as well as a toolbox of open access materials.
In the first months of its activities, STORM focused on reviewing the state of the art of freight and logistics Big Data sources and best practices for data collection and management to support future tools and models development, as well as policy recommendations. In addition, it is preparing for the next steps of a stakeholders’ consultation with online surveys that will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
Consortium and partners
STORM project consortium is led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, contributing in all project activities with its expertise in system level planning and simulation of vehicle fleets and exploitation of data, and partners from Fraunhofer ISI (Germany), taking a leading role on the identification of knowledge and methodological gaps in the freight sector and elaboration of novel methods and concepts, Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), bringing the knowledge and experience in energy economics and energy system modelling, alternative transportation fuels, sustainability standards, technological change, consumer behaviour and mobility, Czech Technical University in Prague (Czechia), contributing with its rich expertise in the logistics and freight domain to reach out interested stakeholders, identifying new data sources, elaboration of novel methods and concepts, and use case scenarios, as well as ERTICO-ITS (Belgium) that will contribute to maximize the impact of the project through dissemination and communication activities targeting different stakeholder’s groups and the wider public.
To support the project activities, the STORM consortium decided to establish a project Advisory Board including members from various stakeholder organizations and freight and logistics business. Among them are Zaragoza Logistics Center (Spain), Camideos (Germany), ABB eMobility Digital Venture (Netherlands), ATOS (Spain), Transport & Environment Society (Belgium), Ford Otosan (Turkey), CLEPA – European Association of Automotive Suppliers (Belgium), Intelligent Transportation Society, ITS (Finland), Alliance for Freight and Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe, ALICE (Belgium) and European Conference of Transport Research Institutes, ECTRI.
Come cooperate with us!
To find out more about STORM project, check the project’s website and sign up for the Newsletter, as well as follow the social media, Twitter and LinkedIn, to be kept updated with the project’s progress and activities.
We are open to cooperate with companies and organizations from the freight and logistics area!
Text: Yancho Todorov, VTT
Contact:
Dr. Yancho Todorov
yancho.todorov@vtt.fi
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Finland
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