Overview
The strategic approach of the project is the promotion of short sea shipping and inland waterway as main component of intermodal transport and its contribution towards the future maritime development of the North Sea Region. Higher efficiency of transport corridors and networks in the North Sea Region, strenghtening of port's position in intermodal transport and logistics chains, better integration and use of information and communication technologies as improved interaction and communication between public and private stakeholders in the logistic sector are aimed to be achieved.
Therefore, the project focuses on the following three domains and the development of regional strategies for improving:
- Logistics competence
- Logistics optimisation and
- Logistics marketing.
The aim of the project is to achieve and promote competitive and sustainable intermodal transport systems in the North Sea Region (NSR) including waterborne transport (short sea shipping and inland navigation) as main leg through:
- Creation of regional and interregional waterborne transport and logistics collaboration clusters;
- Improvement of the competence of the waterborne transport and logistics networks organisations and individuals;
- Optimisation of waterborne transport and logistic processes;
- Development of strategies and mechanism for the promotion of the use of waterborne transport and logistics, and
- Creation of a quality assurance framework for implementing measures and continuous quality improvement.
The project aim contributes to the strategy NORVISION regarding co-operations for the promotion of short sea shipping and inland navigation involving actors from port operators, shipping companies, shippers, forwarders, logistic providers and hinterland infrastructure with a leading role in port regions.
Based on the previous Interreg IIc project 'Network of REgional MARitime Competence Centres (REMARCC)', the project will address the development of intermodal transport and waterborne logistics clusters in the North Sea Region (NSR) by vertical and horizontal measures.
In order to ensure a practical approach, stakeholders from industry, administrations, policy makers and research will be integrated.
The project comprises 6 workpackages with key issues for the support and promotion of short sea shipping and waterborne transport (in addition to the workpackage on 'project management'), incl. the co-ordination of co-operation between the NSR-REMARCC and Northern Maritime Corridor (NMC) and similar projects within the Baltic Sea Region.
- WP 0. Project Management
- WP 1. North Sea Logistic Cluster
- WP 2. Knowledge Management Processes
- WP 3. Coaching and Training in Intermodal Transport and Logistics
- WP 4. North Sea Quality Circle
- WP 5. Intermodal Supply Chain Optimisation
- WP 6. Promotion Strategies for Short Sea Sipping - An analysis of existing North Sea Logistics Clusters (NSLC), i.e. interaction and communication processes will provide the basis for the following workpackages, inter alia regarding stakeholders to be involved or obstacles and chances for improvements.
A further key issue is the integration of Knowledge Management (KM) regarding information, successful procedures and tacit knowledge on waterborne transport and logistics. Coaching and Training will be offered to target groups to implement results, e.g. education academies, associations or regional administrations. For improving waterborne transport services and adjacent logistics activities, an organisational framework named the North Sea Quality Circle (NSQC) will be established, incl. benchmarking, ICT and certification activities. Facing changes and challenges in logistics systems, Intermodal and Supply Chain Optimisation (ISCO) will be executed in order to investigate and demonstrate optimisation measures for intermodal chains including waterborne transport services. The development of Promotion Strategies in Intermodal Transport and Logistics (PS) will provide the regions with a set of tools to make aware suppliers and demanders of the opportunities and potentials to use waterborne intermodal transport cha
Funding
Results
- Agreed recommendations to improve North Sea Logistic Clusters.
- Demonstration and take-up measures to implement Knowledge Management processes.
- Enterprises and administrations participating in Knowledge Management processes (based on output report).
- Informing shippers project about possibilities to shift cargo from road to waterborne transport.
- Perform coaching and training courses/seminars.
- Staff development via coaching and training (e.g. by courses or 'Distance Learning Platform').
- Set up of an internet based platform for promoting sustainable waterborne intermodal transport and logistics in the North Sea Region.
- Increase awareness of waterborne transport alternatives through concrete queries via the website (www.shortsea.org).
- Produce and distribute publications (e.g. curricula/handbooks/analysis reports/user guides, newsletters).
- Certification measures carried out by the North Sea Quality Circle as an interregional quality management instrument were very welcome by enterprises and administrations participating in Knowledge Management processes.
- The project investigated the characteristics of maritime regions (availability of ports as nodes in transport chains, interface function for deep sea and short sea feeder services, port and ship operators, logistic and value added services).
- The REMARCCC project promotes waterborne transport having a strong impact on future planning and demand for transport infrastructure within and between the regions in the North Sea Region.
Cross sectoral integration is achieved through the project-involvement of all relevant stakeholders and decision makers in waterborne transports in intermodal chains within the individual regional maritime Logistic Clusters, i.e. industry, administrations/politics, education and qualification institutions, transport and logistic associations and research - but also related administrations and organisations (e.g. environmental and spatial planning administrations).
Policy implications
Cross sectoral integration is achieved through the project-involvement of all relevant stakeholders and decision makers in waterborne transports in intermodal chains within the individual regional maritime Logistic Clusters, i.e. industry, administrations/politics, education and qualification institutions, transport and logistic associations and research - but also related administrations and organisations (e.g. environmental and spatial planning administrations).
The political and societal will have to shift transports from road transports to environmental friendly transport modes with its impact on spatial planning and Spatial development of the North Sea Region is an integral part of the project. Thus,
- the modal shift will contribute to relieve congested road infrastructures and to reduce emissions;
- the project promotes waterborne transport having a strong impact on future planning and demand for transport infrastructure within and between the regions in the North Sea Region;
- the project developed activities on an interregional and transnational level to promote and strengthen short sea shipping and inland navigation as an environmental and economic alternative to road transport around the North Sea;
- an analysis of the infrastructures and suprastructures and the competitiveness' situation of the regions was carried out by comparing regional logistic clusters of the participating port regions;
- the project supports the characteristics of maritime regions (availability of ports as nodes in transport chains, interface function for deep sea and short sea feeder services, port and ship operators, logistic and value added services) and therefore their comparative ad-vantages for integrating waterborne transport in intermodal chains - following the objective of the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP);
- contributing to the development integrated activities for the North Sea Region, the project activities consider the NORVISION aim by securing competitiveness of the participating regions, enhancing the use of environment friendly modes and by strengthening intermodal logistic centres around the North Sea.
- an analysis of the infrastructures and suprastructures and the competitiveness' situation of the regions was carried out by comparing regional logistic clusters of the participating port regions. It can be said that therefore their comparative ad-v