Overview
For analysing freight intensive industries and freight transport in Switzerland it is required to investigate the freight transport itself in a first step. Furthermore, the key industries have to be identified. This is done using economic figures, like the national accounts, but also by means of logistics key figures, for example the freight forwarding intensity. Subsequently the identified key industries are studied to derivate their requirements concerning a freight forwarding infrastructure (second step). While identifying the key industries, interdependencies between the industries have to be taken into account. Since only a comprehensive understanding of the structure between the industries allows for profound statements with respect to the possible key industries. Impulses for this analysis come from the input-output-statistic as well as from similar proceeding studies. In a third step it is necessary to geographically locate business clusters and to analyse them concerning their freight forwarding intensity for detecting logistic clusters. Here also, it is important to take interdependencies between the different clusters into account. Additionally, a value and cost analysis has to be conducted (the fourth step). The cost analysis provides the determination of total and marginal costs of logistics and transportation with respect to a product/industry. This information is combined with the considerations concerning freight transport for the derivation of industry and freight forwarding specific design recommendations for traffic politics.
The project has the following objectives:
- Examination of freight transport in Switzerland (inland traffic), transit traffic, as well as import and export
- Identification of freight transport intensive key industries regarding gross value and freight intensity, derivation of current and future requirements concerning freight traffic infrastructure
- Geographical localisation of freight transport in- and extensive business clusters in Switzerland
- Rough Analysis of logistics/transport costs with respect to the respective industry/product
- Design recommendations for traffic policy regarding investments in freight traffic infrastructure
Primary data collection was done mainly through interviews and workshops with experts of various associations and businesses. In the first phase, interviews were mainly with representatives of the Association of Swiss Cargo Forum (eg SSC, SPEDLOGSWISS, SVS). In the following period basic data on selected case studies, such as the detailed analysis of the processes of value-added data or chains of the largest companies in various industries, were collected.
After the data collection and analysis, dissemination is conducted. The aim is to make the results available to the public in professional journals and through presentations at conferences and congresses.
Funding
Results
The key results of the project are:
- Illustration of freight flows in Switzerland
- more detailed information on key industries (the status quo and future trends)
- presentation of a cluster of logistics and freight business linkages between clusters in Switzerland
- the statement logistics and transportation costs for the product / sector in cross-border and complete cost analysis.