The project aims to promote and facilitate the shift of cargo from road to sea based inter-modal transport. StratMos strives to improve accessibility within the North Sea Region by supporting the implementation of the Motorways of the Sea concept and related transport networks in integrated logistical chains.

On the strategic level, the project intends to provide input for the Master Plan to be developed by the North Sea MoS Task Force as well as to EU entities. On the implementation level practical demonstration projects will be carried out in order to demonstrate actions to be taken by public and private actors to improve the effectiveness of inter-modal transport, in particular related to hubs and hinterland connections.

StratMos is also represented in the MTC cluster.

Aim
Promote and facilitate shift of cargo from road to sea based intermodal transport, and to improve accessibility within the North Sea Region, by supporting the implementation of MoS and related transport networks in integrated logistical chains.

Background
The existing transport network in Europe cannot absorb the forecasted increase in freight volumes. It is therefore essential to develop alternative, more sustainable and cost efficient transport systems in order to alleviate congestion and reduce emissions harming Europe’s economy and environment. Against this background the European Commission Transport White Paper from 2001 called for a shift of balance between the transport modes in favour of sea-based intermodal transport, and for decoupling economic and transport growth. These concerns were addressed by introducing the Motorways of the Sea (MoS) concept.

MoS is intended to concentrate flows of freight on sea-based logistical routes with a view of reducing road congestion and/or improve access to peripheral and island regions.

The experience so far indicates at least four problem areas that should be addressed in order to make the MoS function as envisaged:

• Different transport corridors and axes are not treated in a sufficiently coherent manner, overlooking how the single corridor has to function as part of an overall transport network.
• The sea leg is not sufficiently integrated into the overall logistics chain, lacking proper linkages to hinterland connections.
• The effectiveness of intermodal transport chains are suffering from lack of cooperation and communication between the various actors in the hubs, as well as from missing infrastructure and administrative bottlenecks.
• Intermodal transport is conceived by the market as costly and time consuming, often overlooking the savings in the total transport chain.
• The understanding of what characterises a MoS (as opposed to short sea shipping services) and what could make up a MoS project is sometimes lacking in the private sector.

The project will address these problems both at a strategic overall level in the work packages (WP) and at a more concrete practical level through implementation of demonstration projects (DP).

However, the demonstration projects do also have a strategic purpose, in particular by involving the private sector. This provides a basis for innovative processes in a public-private-partnership, cross sector and cross level setting, improving competitiveness and job creation.

• Transnational solutions for ‘invisible’ intermodal transport (pilot trials, recommendations on intra-port traffic, technology related change management),
• Recommendations for efficient hubs, hinterland connections and on intra-port traffic,
• ICSO platform for container monitoring, ICT platform for cargo operations,
• Strategies for connecting transport networks and corridors. Develop functional concepts for connecting transport networks, comprising hubs and transport axes / corridors, by defining requirements for investments in infrastructure and facilities,
• A system model of MoS and intermodal transport,
• Guideline MoS strategic demonstration project.