IWT welcomes such projects since Inland Ports do have a key position when it comes to Modal Shift. So, we would like to monitor closely, and we wish them lots of success.
On September 7 and 8, 21 project partners from Western, Central, and Eastern Europe gathered at the Duisburg Port premises to start the ambitious MultiRELOAD project, which aims to promote port solutions for efficient, effective, and sustainable multimodal transportation.
Inland ports are critical components in multimodal transportation systems, both continental and maritime. In Europe, there are 225 inland ports, many of which serve as significant multimodal logistical and economic hubs near metropolitan centers, offering mobility infrastructure and smart solutions for both people and cargo.
MultiRELOAD fosters collaboration across European freight nodes in order to test innovations and generate favorable market circumstances for multimodal freight transport solutions. To that purpose, MultiRELOAD will exhibit solutions in three Innovation Areas with particular goals by 2025, reflecting the EU’s Smart Mobility Strategy initiatives, as follows:
1) Intelligent multimodal logistics: support a 5% shift from road to rail and IWT;
2)Digital and Automated Multimodal Nodes and Corridors: 20% improvement in operational efficiency and handling capacity;
3) Innovative business models: resulting in a 10% decrease in freight transport costs on average.
The MultiRELOAD consortium, comprised of ports, highly innovative technology, logistics and service providers, leading European research institutions, and well-connected networks, will work tirelessly for 36 months to facilitate significant modal shifts to sustainable modes of transport, radical efficiency increases in supply chains, and capacity-sharing (data, infrastructure, loading space, etc.) for all operators within the key Trans-European Transport Network.
Duisport is globally networked and serves as a role model and digital innovation trendsetter on global logistic supply chains. In MultiRELOAD, duisport, in collaboration with the Ports of Vienna (AT) and Basel (CH), will lead the transition of inland ports to carbon-neutrality by testing, demonstrating, evaluating, and rolling out highly innovative multimodal freight solutions in seven different demonstrations organized around the three thematic innovation areas mentioned above. Regional consortia involving port authorities, operators, technology and service suppliers, and relevant research institutions will build up, deploy, and assess MultiRELOAD demos. All MultiRELOAD technologies promise to considerably boost flexibility, service visibility, and cut freight transport costs by 10% on average.
MultiRELOAD’s novel solutions will be further developed toward good business strategies and models, ready for widespread adoption, hence boosting overall market maturity. Startport Duisburg and thinkport Vienna, two existing business incubators, will give business angel expertise for new services and start-ups building smart multimodal solutions. Finally, a large number of end users (logistics service providers, freight forwarders, and cargo owners) will be actively involved in the validation of innovations through the MultiRELOAD User Forum, ensuring that solutions are market-ready.
