Overview
The automation of operations related to the transportation of goods was introduced in warehouse and order-picking technology in order to streamline complex data entry and management processes. As a consequence, the efficiency and quality of transportation and distribution of cargo has been improved in the last decades. The proposed R&D service will systematically treat the social and organizational implications of the increasing levels of automatization of goods and transport logistics. In particular, the impact of automation on the transport of goods by road and rail will be considered based on various scenarios until 2040, thus revealing barriers as well as enablers, and at the same time deriving FTI and transport-related public policies.
"Automated Driving" and semi-automated systems are increasingly being offered by manufacturers on the market and employed by vendors and end users. Studies on social and organizational implications of the increasing automation of freight transport and logistics processes from a systemic perspective have not been performed to this date. In particular, the impact of automation on road and rail freight transportation and the distribution of transport capacity related to these two modes will be another focus of the project.
Various automation scenarios on a timeline up to 2040 are formulated, including representations of social and organizational impacts, as well as accompanying RTI and public policy measures, which serve both to secure and intensify the positive, as well as to reduce the negative aspects of environmental impacts. Answers to the following questions formulated in the tender are given:
- The social and organizational impact due to increasing automation * in the next years and decades related to road and rail freight transport * of the total freight transport in Austria.
- Potential displacement effects and interactions.
- Role of employees in the transport and logistics sector with respect to the increasing level of automation in the future mobility system.
- Impacts of increasing automation within freight transport (key word "Gütermobilität 4.0").
- The expected significance of automation for further development of freight transport and the overall mobility system.
- Social and organizational risks and opportunities posed by future developments.
- Underlying conditions which are to be observed, created and changed.
- New opportunities for R&D in the field of freight transport and through organizational change.
- Identification of key enablers and driving forces that are increasing the level of automation in freight transport and logistics processes.