Towards Innovative Freight and Logistics

Freight transport faces a dual challenge: it must satisfy the demands of globalized trade and meet environmental requirements. In this context, innovation is a crucial topic to enable the transition from the current transportation and logistics system to a sustainable system.

This book provides an overview of the latest technological innovations in Europe and worldwide, based on ICT and new vehicle concepts, for all modes and all scales (urban, regional, national or international).

The authors consider innovation supply, the process of innovation and innovative business models. Some perspectives and solutions are proposed on the deployment of innovation, specifically concerning the transformation of the organization of the system and the relationships between industry, governmental players, operators and users.

Corinne Blanquart is a senior researcher at IFSTTAR in France. She heads the SPLOTT laboratory and conducts research on freight transport and logistics. More specifically, her areas of research are freight demand analysis and retailers' logistics in France and Germany.

Uwe Clausen is managing director of the Institute of Transport Logistics at TU Dortmund University, Germany and director of the Fraunhofer-Institute for material flow and logistics in Dortmund. His research areas include green logistics, commercial traffic modeling, intermodal transportation, mathematical optimization, network optimization and distribution systems.

Bernard Jacob, chair of the Programme Committee of TRA2014, is deputy scientific director for transport, infrastructures and safety with IFSTTAR. His research works are in bridge and road safety, traffic loads on bridges, heavy vehicles and weigh-in-motion. He is Professor at Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat in France, and President of the International Society for WIM (ISWIM).