POLLOCO - Polish Centre of Logistics Competence
Overview
Background & policy context:
The operation of seamless intermodal door-to-door transport chains across Europe requires research to enable the cost-effective development and maintenance of infrastructures and nodal areas as well as to identify and realise promising alternative transport concepts.
The further development, interconnection and interoperability of transport networks, in particular the Trans-European Transport Networks (TENs) require research to address specifications for technical and administrative interoperability within and across modes, the identification of Trans-European and network effects of TENs and strategies to maximise their beneficial impacts, and methodologies and best practices for improving the integration between local, regional and Trans-European and Pan-European networks.
Objectives:
The main objective of the project was to support the development of the intermodal transport infrastructure that would allow interoperability and facilitate integration of the Candidate Countries (now New Member States) into the Trans-European Transport Network.
Performing the project activities, the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (ILIM) served as a Centre of Competence in Logistics, covering not only Poland but also the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe.
The project’s main outcomes have been various forms of collaboration among companies, RTD units and institutions. The centre has supported the development of logistics initiatives, projects and implementations, and also set new directions for the future.
Methodology:
The centre’s activities have been focused on the development of knowledge and competence in the field of design, set-up and functioning of logistics centres, as well as advancement of IT solutions supporting activities of logistics operators, logistics centres and their networks. This general objective has been realised by:
- promotion of the idea of intermodality as a systematic solution to the problem of underdevelopment of transport infrastructure;
- popularisation of the methodology of construction of the most technologically advanced, highly efficient and environmentally friendly logistics centres and terminals;
- support for the development of tools for decision-making;
- development and dissemination of knowledge in logistics, particularly in the field of Internet-based tools and platforms providing logistics operators with information and allowing transactions.
As a result of the project, interested individuals and institutions from the research, business and government spheres - both at the local and national level – were offered access to the accumulated logistics knowledge, and the Centre of Competence become a real platform of knowledge dissemination and exchange for Poland and other New Member States.
During three years of the project activity, the informal POLLOCO network has been established. Institutions, organisations, research and academic units and individual experts have been invited not only to tap into the Centre’s resources but also to contribute with their own knowledge and experience. The sources of knowledge for the network were mainly organisations and individuals from the EU-15. The Institute has established numerous new contacts, invited participants to benefit from project resources and events, and organised a successful network meeting in Budapest.
Other activities of the project were mostly devoted to strengthening competence and setting-up platforms of knowledge transfer. In this respect, the team identified best practices, created data bases of RTD projects and units, prepared and offered a number distance learning of courses, organised four workshops, organised a well-attended international conference, organised three working visits aiming at acquaintance with best practices, and promoted and disseminated information via the web, newsletter and multimedia CD.
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