EPICENTER (Enhanced Physical Internet-Compatible Earth-frieNdly freight Transportation answER)

19 June, 2020

Summary:

APBA participates in the European Project EPICENTER, focused on allowing a seamless transport of goods, focusing especially on the technological and operational opportunities that the Physical Internet, synchro-modal operations and other disruptive technologies such as Hyperloop, Industry 4.0 and autonomous vehicles provide.

The project, funded by the Horizon Europe 2020 programme and with a completion deadline of 42 months, aims to develop innovative systems with the ultimate tangible effect of more efficient and sustainable logistic chains. A series of large-scale tests on new solutions in major shipping routes from Europe to Canada and the US will be conducted, as
well as in new trade routes such as the North Sea Route and the new Silk Routes.

The overall concept is to establish an interoperable living toolset of software tools, services and methodologies which can be rapidly deployed/used by a wide range of public and industry stakeholders to address the many challenges and issues relating to multimodal freight transport systems and logistics operations. Within the project, a wide range of solutions will be provided, validated in real environments, with a view to responding to the topic “InCo Flagship on Integrated multimodal, low-emission freight transport systems and logistics”, included in the European call “Mobility for Growth”.

Among other examples of use, the following ones are included:

• Applying emerging technologies and logistics concepts such as AI, Blockchain, synchromodality and the Physical Internet to major international and intra-European routes to understand their impact and potential benefit in terms of improved use of infrastructure and capacity.
• Using advanced algorithms and innovative research methodologies to understand better the impact of new Arctic and Silk Road routes, addressing environmental and socio-economic factors, as well as the effect on freight flows and
  consequential interfaces/nodes capacity needed to link EU and Global networks.
• Optimising multimodal transfer zone operations, especially in the context of innovative modularization concepts, new freight flow strategies (e.g. “bundling”) and new transport and handling modes (e.g. Hyperloop, robotic vehicles) to advance towards seamless door-to-door operations in an Industry 4.0 world.

It aims to become a “live tool-kit”, meaning that EPICENTER will not just be a static set of applications and tools, but will also provide a framework that makes its organic growth possible beyond the end of the project. For example, as new data sources, research methods and algorithms are developed, it will be possible to easily add them to the EPICENTER family. During the project, the appropriate governance, standards and development plans will be established to promote this process once the project is completed. This will ensure that, in the future, EPICENTER
continues providing answers to new questions and challenges arising.

APBA will take part in work packs 2 – Global Visibility Technologies & Governance and 4 – Demonstrators, Showcase & Lessons Learned. In addition, APBA will provide support in the cross-cutting communication and dissemination activities of the project, taking advantage of its experience managing its own initiatives, i.e. the Algeciras BrainPort 2020 and Innovation Journey programmes.

Expected results:

The results expected from the implementation of the ePIcenter project are as follows:

• Improve the integration of the European transport network with the global network, benefiting from the emergence of new trade routes and harmonized platforms in support of the sustainable development of new logistics routes and their linkage to national/regional markets.
• Understand the effects of emerging technologies on the flow of goods and the consequent guidelines for optimizing vehicle, infrastructure and operations.
• Facilitate the development of disadvantaged regions and their inclusion in the international trading system. Better understanding of the linkages between technological development, trade and geopolitics.
• Validate research on a number of use cases through demonstration, trials and pilot testing with the direct involvement of service providers and end users.