Connectivity is key for the logistics of tomorrow
Our economies and our lives depend on the efficient movement of goods; movement that is underpinnedby complex transport and logistics chains. But, while delivering goods from producer to end user,transport and logistics systems are under increasing pressure to deliver greater efficiency, moresustainability and improved cost-effectiveness. A number of initiatives from ERTICO – ITS Europe are
addressing these challenges and creating the transport and logistics systems of tomorrow.
Transport and logistics are facing the same challenges as other sectors – the need to increase efficiency,improve sustainability and lower costs. For transport and logistics however, this is further compoundedby the need to offer a better customer service in the face of growing customer expectations, and to ensurecompliance with ever more stringent regulations.
One of the biggest transport problems globally is congestion, especially on the roads. Congestion costs
Europe about 1 % of its GDP every year and is the cause of a large amount of carbon emissions. Anotherchallenge is the digitalisation process of transport networks and infrastructure. If fully implemented, thiscould better integrate road, rail, air and waterborne travel into a seamless logistics chain across Europe.
The sustainability of urban logistics is a challenge for rapidly growing cities worldwide. Sharing is a bigstory for logistics – from Uber-style approaches to last-mile delivery, to more formal joint ventures andpartnerships at corporate level. The whole sector is redefining collaboration through change, but is still
hampered by inconsistencies in everything from shipment sizes to processes and IT systems. Large ecommerce players as well as various start-ups view last mile services as a key differentiator from theircompetitors. Services are in competition for traffic lanes and parking spaces as well as being vulnerable
to other disruptions, like traffic accidents, traffic jams or weather.
Services will need an active data exchange and an open location platform to host the appropriate data.
‘New digitized innovations and services will require collaboration since nobody can do this alone,’ says
Mika Rytkonen CEO behind data driven solution HERE Tracking. ‘New innovations, such as HERE Tracking,automated vehicles or active traffic management, are entering the market and are all powered by data.
ERTICO with its innovative platforms will play a key role in driving industry collaboration to maketransportation smarter.’ One of these platforms is ERTICO’s TM 2.0 that enhances logistical efficiencies by
providing better insight into highly congested delivery areas such as rails and ports.
Also key to meeting these daunting challenges will be improving the way that elements in the freight andlogistics chain communicate with each other and exchange data. This is particularly true for highlycongested hubs such as ports. ERTICO, a public-private partnership that develops, promotes and deploys
Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (ITS), understands the key importance of improving
interoperability and connectivity when it comes to optimising cargo flows and streamlining supply chain
management.
ERTICO has set itself the goal of achieving fully digital, interoperable and automated freight and logistics
operations in Europe by 2025 and seamless logistics and freight transport by 2030. With this goal in mind
the partnership has recently announced its intention to develop the new LogistiX hub for a trusted dataexchange in supply chain and logistics.
Dr. Johanna Tzanidaki, Director of Innovation and Deployment at ERTICO, said: ‘The LogistiX hub will be aknowledge and business incubation centre, which will help companies to become more competitive withregards to logistics and supply chain services using digital technologies. Offering a catalogue of leadingedge ideas, solutions, networks and compliance testing it will enable the optimisation of international
end-to-end data visibility of the supply chain.’ The LogistiX hub will be formally launched at the ITS
Congress in Copenhagen in September 2018.
Leveraging the state-of-the-art
To achieve fully digital and interoperable freight and logistics chains it will be necessary to leverage
cutting-edge technologies and solutions, for example autonomous mobility and unmanned aerial vehicles(drones). But the greatest impact in this area will undoubtedly come from exploiting synergies between
ICT solutions, such as 5G, IoT, end-to-end visibility networks and blockchain.
ICT platform connectivity is a core consideration of ERTICO’s AEOLIX project. This project is developing a
digital ecosystem to better manage, plan and synchronise freight and logistics operations across Europe.
AEOLIX will improve the overall competitiveness of goods transport in the supply chain by enabling lowcomplexity and low-cost connectivity of local ICT platforms and systems. It will also overcome
fragmentation of data exchange and ensure scalability, interoperability and visibility across the supply
chain. The resulting automation of the data flow between logistic chain stakeholders will makemanagement of their relationships more flexible, supporting an improved workflow across companies.
The improved connectivity that the project will deliver will enable the scalable, trusted and secureexchange of information. This, in turn, will improve the overall competitiveness of goods transport in thesupply chain and make it more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Improved
connectivity will also support cooperative ITS solutions, which will also improve logistics operations bygenerating real-time traffic information, allowing better tracking and tracing of goods.
Join the conversation
Efficiency in freight transport is one of the key topics that will be discussed at this year’s Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress, which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 17-21
September 2018. If you would like to come to Copenhagen and join the discussion, register here.

Just a few of the relevant sessions on this topic include:•••••

ES08 Efficiency in Freight Transport
SIS80 Across the Pavement – Smart Freight Delivery for the last Metres
ES03 Essentials for developing a Smart City
SIS70 Port of the Future towards Automation
SIS87 Ensuring a network for logistics data exchange

For the full programme of the please click here.