The project addresses efficiency and effectiveness of the North Sea Region transport freight. To secure the NSR as a global competitor, the project develops an intelligent transport solution (ITS), which will improve accessibility, reduce environmental damage in the North Sea Region and enable the NSR to develop a dynamic logistics solution which is scalable across the EU.
As the main result, the project will develop a multi-lingual electronic communication and data capture system for the freight supply chain to provide information to end users, transport managers, freight handlers about the conditions in the area that they are about to enter. Thereby the project aims to improve efficiency, safety and security in the supply chain of the NSR and promotes the development of efficient and effective logistics solutions.
Duration
01/01/2009 - 31/12/2011
Priority
3 - Improving the Accessibility of Places in the North Sea Region
Area of Intervention
3.3 To promote the development of efficient and effective logistics solutions
University of Huddersfield, Applied Criminology Centre
Evaris Limited
The Netherlands
The Netherland's National Police Agency
Sweden
Volvo Technology Corporation
Germany
Bremen Senator for Education and Science
Background and Aim
Aim An electronic communications and data capture network will be developed into ITS that will be placed at strategic positions in key transport corridors to provide live, up to date information regarding traffic flow, congestion, safety and security.
The ITS will initially be aimed at the freight supply chain and will employ the most relevant Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and equipment to transmit and receive data in a series of languages to lone workers as they travel throughout NSR.
Background The concept of 'just in time' deliveries is an essential element in competitive business practice and this places heavy reliance on goods delivered on time, every time. Increased journey times, poor delivery predictability or loss of goods has a negative impact on economies and communities, causing significant financial costs to businesses and environmental damage through increased journey times and vehicle emissions.
The North Sea Region (NSR) has a unique position in terms of goods transport and logistics in Europe, playing a key role as Europe's biggest transport hub and is at the heart of this economic activity. The use of ICT, telecommunications and data capture within the supply chain will help increase NSR's competitiveness in global markets and support sustainable economic, social and environmental improvements and growth for the future.
This proposal intends to develop an ITS, based on a multi-sectoral partnership and the use of ICT to enable the NSR to develop a dynamic logistics solution which is scalable across the EU. By investing in research and development and introducing innovative products and processes into the logistics sector this project contributes to the aims of the Lisbon and Gothenburg Strategies.
The innovative use of ICT provides important opportunities to improve accessibility within the NSR by ‘shrinking' real distances that exist between places and offer good access to facilities and information. It also supports the development of a knowledge-based economy and the wider use of ICT in businesses of all sizes.
A transnational and multi-sectoral partnership approach between the public and private sector will enable the wider adoption and use of ICT applications to enable NSR to further develop efficient and effective logistics solutions.
Expected Outcomes
A multi-lingual electronic communication and data capture system for the freight supply chain to provide information to end users/drivers, fleet/transport managers, freight handlers about the conditions in the area that they are about to enter.
Three pilot projects to test the effectiveness of the communications system;
Recommendations to regional and national level entities and other potential stakeholders;
Valuable information for freight supply chain making the sector better able to plan and manage their business operations including traffic flow, efficiency, safety and security issues.
October 2010 - March 2011
A number of results have started to emerge from the project. For example, the document 'identification of data sources, data types and the negotiation of data supply, legal and licensing issues' was produced. Testing of project prototypes has also taken place with success e.g. the black box and system stress testing. A useful evaluation exercise has been carried out through the projects Interim Evaluation Report, including checking the effectiveness of the project in practice and the transnational approach being adopted by the project.
The project is working to promote its work on national and EU level. For example, the partner PUAC meeting with the UK Deputy Prime Minister to provide him with an update of project activities. Similarly, the project is being supported by the Vice President of the European Parliament.
The project has been liaising with a number of other EU projects during the reporting period, including quite a number of Framework Programme 7 (FP7)projects e.g. MoDe and e-Freight. Work has often moved beyond simple exchange of knowledge and at times there has been active involvement and participation between NS FRITS and FP7 projects. A good example provided in the report is that of the NS FRITS response to the FP 7 project LogSec questionnaire. In addition the NS FRITS systems was demonstrated to another FP7 project MoDe.
April - September 2010
The project has continued to advance the NS FRITS system, including the development of wireless communication systems and the use of Smartphone applications, which have been researched, designed and tested. In addition, progress has been made with the three NS FRITS pilots around the North Sea Region - including using scenarios to demonstrate how the NS FRITS system will work in practice.
The NS FRITS stakeholder group has been strengthened and now includes involvement from European and national governments, logistics and transport providers, trade associations, port authorities, partners from other EU projects and law enforcement agencies. Further, the NS FRITS beneficiaries have linked with EU wide organisations including the International Union of Railways (UIC), TISPOL and Aquapol. The project has also worked to identify and develop areas of co-operation with other European projects, e.g. Smartfreight (7th Framework project).
The PUAC beneficiary met with UK Deputy Prime Minister in August 2010 and during the meeting took the opportunity to promote NS FRITS. In addition, PUAC met with a representative from the Freight and Logistics Division of the UK government - Department of Transport to investigate how the project can support national policy and legislation. AVCIS continue to brief the Home Office in the UK on NS FRITS. Both PUAC and AVCIS regularly attend TruckPol (UK National Crime Intelligence Service for freight crime) meetings to raise awareness of NS FRITS to TruckPol members.
October 2009 - March 2010
The project has started its second phase, with focus being placed on system research and development. A number of important events have taken place including the International Management Group meeting/Transport Security Seminar, which took place in Rotterdam in February 2010. In November 2009 an NS FRITS meeting was held in Gothenburg, Sweden where NS FRITS partners from four countries (UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden) discussed system requirements, data source identification and future development activities.
The project partners have all been busy strengthening vertical and horizontal contacts. The regional, national and European level are all identified within the report as well as contact with sector representatives i.e. Trade Associations, Haulage associations etc. A representative from the partner PUAC met with MEP, Diana Wallis, the Vice President of the European Parliament in December 2009 to provide an update on the project. She confirmed her continuing support for the project. PUAC also met with the Senior Policy Officer for International Freight from the Department for Transport (DfT) in October 2009 to discuss how the project could assist in raising the awareness of International Freight and explore how NS FRITS can support European, national and regional policy initiatives.
Agreements have also been made for the project to share data with a range of regional and national transport agencies. For example, the UK Highways Agency and Traffic Scotland and The Netherlands National Traffic Management Centre. This data will be edited and transmitted using the NS FRITS system.
NS FRITS partners have liaised with representatives from the ten EU projects that have been identified for collaborative working as well as collaborating with EU-wide organisations including: IRU, UIC, TISPOL and AQUAPOL. The Data Distribution Service developed as part of the satellites in the FP6 SISTER project (Support of Transport on European Roads) has been obtained and adapted for use in NS FRITS. Project representatives also attended a workshop at VTEC (Swedish project with a similar scope to NS FRITS) at Lindholme Science Park, Gothenburg, in January 2010.
A range of activities have been carried out during the reporting period including a Driver Survey, which was not only conducted in the UK but also Germany and Sweden. The results of which being incorporated into System Requirements that will be used for the development of the NS FRITS system - to be implemented and executed at strategic locations within the North Sea Region. In addition, three pilot planning meetings took place with NS FRITS partners in January, February and March 2010 where the pilot definition process and proposed a methodology was discussed and a common understanding of what the NS FRITS system will demonstrate agreed.
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