# Theoretical Framework (Module) for Short-Sea Shipping System Evaluation
## 5 Discussions and Conclusions  
The volume of freight transportation worldwide is constantly increasing. New transport options and methods are emerging that allow reduced freight transportation time, cost, and environmental impact while transporting the same amount of freight.  
The article presents a methodology for a comparative index for transporting cargo using short-sea shipping and land transport systems which allows for assessing the advantages of SSS and the optimization of transportation itself. Theoretical and practical studies conducted by analyzing real transportation have shown that the SSS system can be applied in many cases, but at the same time, it is difficult to determine the critical volume of cargo transportation when the SSS system is superior; therefore, determining the optimal volume of cargo using the SSS system will be a direction for further research.  
The developed methodology allows forecasting and optimizing cargo transportation using the SSS system and other possible transport corridors. However, evaluating the factor weight coefficients when adapting to specific conditions is also important, since their evaluation is very important in finding optimal solutions. Therefore, evaluating factor weight coefficients should be an important direction for further research.  
Based on the research conducted, the following conclusions can be drawn:  
1. Short-sea shipping in those sea regions where RORO liner shipping is developed has good prospects for taking over a significant part of cargo from road transport.
2. The \"transition\" of cargo from road transport to the SSS system allows for a significant reduction in transportation costs due to more optimal transport use.
3. The reduction in cargo transportation time allows for a more optimal arrangement of cargo transportation capacities, especially when using sea RORO transportation, and reduces the wear and tear of road vehicles.
4. Freight transportation using the SSS system significantly reduces the environmental impact in many cases, as emissions generated when transporting the same amount of cargo are minimized.
5. The developed comparative SSS system index allows for sufficient accuracy of assessing quantitative parameters of freight transportation.  
The developed SSS system assessment methodology and comparative index allow for optimizing freight transportation (transportation time and cost) while reducing environmental impact.  
Conceptualization, V.P., B.P., D.P., R.K. and P.L.; methodology, V.P. and D.P.; software, V.P., D.P., K.C. and A.C.; validation, V.P., B.P., D.P. and P.L.; formal analysis, V.P., R.K., P.L. and K.C.; investigation, V.P., P.L. and A.W.; resources, V.P., B.P., D.P. and P.L.; data curation, D.P., R.K. and A.C.; writing--original draft preparation, V.P. and D.P.; writing--review and editing, P.L. and A.C.; visualization, A.C. and B.P.; supervision, V.P.; project administration, R.K., P.L. and K.C.; funding acquisition, P.L., R.K. and K.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
The research received financial support from the statutory activities of Gdynia Maritime University under the projects IM/2025/PZ/01 and WN/2025/PZ/01. It was developed based on the findings of the European project named INCONE60 Green--Digital and green transition of small ports, which is carried out within the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021-2027 and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.  
Not applicable.  
Data Availability Statement: The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.  
This article is based on the research conducted by the Gdynia Maritime University, Gdansk University of Technology, Maritime Engineering Department of the Klaipeda University.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.