Green intermodal freight transportation: bi-objective modelling and analysis

Efficient planning of freight transportation requires a comprehensive look at wide range of factors in the operation and management of any transportation mode to achieve safe, fast, and environmentally suitable movement of goods. In this regard, a combination of transportation modes offers flexible and environmentally friendly alternatives to transport high volumes of goods over long distances. In order to reflect the advantages of each transportation mode, it is the challenge to develop models and algorithms in Transport Management System software packages. This paper discusses the principles of green logistics required in designing such models and algorithms which truly represent multiple modes and their characteristics. Thus, this research provides a unique practical contribution to green logistics literature by advancing our understanding of the multi-objective planning in intermodal freight transportation. Analysis based on a case study from hinterland intermodal transportation in Europe is therefore intended to make contributions to the literature about the potential benefits from combining economic and environmental criteria in transportation planning. An insight derived from the experiments conducted shows that there is no need to greatly compromise on transportation costs in order to achieve a significant reduction in carbon-related emissions.     

Development of a decision support framework for sustainable freight transport system evaluation using rough numbers

Among various operational decision-making tasks in a transportation system, sustainable performance evaluation has a very promising and direct influence on the community as well as environment. To prevent and reduce the negative impacts of a freight transportation system, a constant monitoring and performance measurement system has of paramount significance in the process of supply chain management. However, studies of complex transport evaluation systems are very scarce in the existing literature. This paper aims to resolve the problem of freight transport system’s performance measurement while developing a comprehensive framework with incorporation of sustainable elements and establishing a rough set-based decision-making approach. The applicability of the proposed framework is investigated to evaluate the performance of seven freight transportation companies in Spain. A decision support tool is designed by integrating rough number-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) methods for their performance appraisal. Sensitivity analysis and comparison with other popular methods are also performed to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach. It is established that rough number-based methodologies have advantages over fuzzy or interval-based models.     

Risk evaluation and mitigation of sustainable road freight transport operation: a case of trucking industry

Road freight transportation sustainability is gaining increasing importance due to an ever-increasing freight movement, globalisation and operational flexibility. The transport managers across the globe are finding it difficult to manage the increasing risks in its operation and implementation of risk-mitigation strategies under economical sustainability. However, very few literatures have examined the impact of sustainable risk management practices on road freight transportation. Our study addresses this important gap in the literature by proposing an integrated fuzzy failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) approach in the selection of risk-mitigation strategy on the trucking industry. Our findings direct to the managers that risk-mitigation strategies must be selected considering the criticality of risks along with the limited budget. In addition, we find that considering subjective evaluations of expert’s judgment and cost benefit justification gives a convincing outcome while calculating of risk-mitigation number in FMEA approach. Proposed approach provides supportive guidelines to the manager to improve the decision-making process.     

The critical success factors of using social media for supply chain social sustainability in the freight logistics industry

This paper pioneers the investigation of the significant factors that influence corporate decisions on the use of social media for supply chain social sustainability, and it highlights a crucial research area that is currently understudied in supply chain management literature. A theoretical framework was developed in this study based upon the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) and Human–Organization–Technology (HOT) theories to obtain the significant critical success factors (CSFs) which influence the use of social media for supply chain social sustainability in freight logistics firms in Nigeria. The Best-Worst Method was applied to analyse and rank the CSFs using their determined relative importance level. The research findings indicate that customer satisfaction, sufficient security and privacy, affordability and competitive pressure are the highest ranked CSFs to achieve supply chain social sustainability using of social media. This research has important implications for policy makers and practitioners to gain perspectives on how to foster the use of social media in the freight logistics sector for supply chain social sustainability.     

Do not blame the driver: A systems analysis of the causes of road freight crashes

Although many have advocated a systems approach in road transportation, this view has not meaningfully penetrated road safety research, practice or policy. In this study, a systems theory-based approach, Rasmussens’s (1997) risk management framework and associated Accimap technique, is applied to the analysis of road freight transportation crashes. Twenty-seven highway crash investigation reports were downloaded from the National Transport Safety Bureau website. Thematic analysis was used to identify the complex system of contributory factors, and relationships, identified within the reports. The Accimap technique was then used to represent the linkages and dependencies within and across system levels in the road freight transportation industry and to identify common factors and interactions across multiple crashes. The results demonstrate how a systems approach can increase knowledge in this safety critical domain, while the findings can be used to guide prevention efforts and the development of system-based investigation processes for the heavy vehicle industry. A research agenda for developing an investigation technique to better support the application of the Accimap technique by practitioners in road freight transportation industry is proposed.     

Policy prescriptions to preserve mobility for seniors—A dose of realism

This paper advocates policy change in three key areas: infrastructure, driver licensing, and access to private resources for transportation alternatives. Policy makers are encouraged to plan for the transportation future of our aging society by prioritizing public expenditures for roads and highways according to design and engineering practices already proven to assist older drivers and pedestrians. By adopting minimum, evidence-based requirements for visual, mental and physical capability for licensure and uniformly applying them at all ages, across all states, policy makers can improve the safety of older drivers without unfairly restricting their mobility—and need not increase the regulatory burden in doing so. By reviewing and replicating already successful state policies that either create incentives or remove barriers to the use of private resources for non-profit, senior transportation, policy makers can help communities access the labor and capital, as well as manage the risks of market-oriented, non-profit mobility solutions.     

Service network design for freight transportation: a review

Freight transportation is a highly competitive market, where logistics service providers (LSP) or carriers have to offer their customers highly reliable and high-quality services at low prices. To meet this challenge, LSPs have to standardize and consolidate. They consolidate their freight in a network of hubs and terminals and build up regular services. The design of such services requires decisions about the frequency, mode, and route of the service, and the corresponding schedule and routing of the freight. In some cases, they also need to make decisions about the assignment of crew and vehicles as well as the repositioning of empty containers and vehicles. Recent publications show that realistic instances of such planning problems are difficult to solve. Nevertheless, some of these real-life problems are modeled and solved using mathematical programming techniques. In this paper, we review different problem formulations published in literature. We further analyze and compare the specific solution frameworks. Based on this we give recommendations for future research.     

Performance evaluation framework for sustainable freight transportation systems

Sustainability in freight transportation demands for a balance among economic, environmental, and social aspects in shipping commodities throughout a supply chain. The performance evaluation of sustainable freight transportation (SFT) systems is of prime importance as it facilitates perpetual and objective assessment for advancements towards sustainability targets. In this study, we propose a comprehensive framework to assess the sustainability performance of freight transportation systems. We pinpoint critical success factors (CSFs) affecting the performance of SFT by carrying out an extensive literature review and conducting a Delphi study to seek experts’ opinions from industry as well as academia. Further, a comprehensive hierarchical framework is developed to establish inter-relationships among these CSFs followed by prioritisation of these CSFs. The application of the proposed framework is illustrated through a case example. This framework would also serve as a reference for decision-makers in selecting the most sustainable freight transportation system.     

Exploring the “value” of academic patents: IP management practices in UK universities and their implications for Third-Stream indicators

Third-Stream activities have become increasingly important in the UK. However, valuing them in a meaningful way still poses a challenge to science and technology analysts and policy makers alike. This paper reviews the general literature on “patent value” and assesses the extent to which these established measures, including patent citation, patent family, renewal and litigation data, can be applied to the university context. Our study examines indicators of patent value for short and mid-term evaluation purposes, rather than indicators that suffer from long time lags. We also explore the extent to which differences in IP management practices at universities may have an impact on the validity and robustness of possible indicators. Our observations from four UK universities indicate that there are considerable differences between universities as to how they approach the IP management process, which in turn has implications for valuing patents and how they track activity in this area. In their current form, data as collected by universities are not sufficiently robust to serve as the basis for evaluation or resource allocation.     

International scientific co-operation and awareness within the European community: Problems and perspectives

International scientific co-operation (ISC) and awareness are topics of increasing interest for both scientists and science policy makers. In this paper, we adopt primarily the science policy point of view. After a concise overview of the literature we summarize the main results of the research we conducted. The main outcome with respect to ISC is that it increases. However, large differences exist between countries and between scientific disciplines. ISC and awareness constitute a complex phenomenon, affected by several factors, science-internal, as well as external. In the paper several techniques are described, amongst which those that can visualize ISC relations through analytical maps. An important aspect of our research methodology is the combination of various quantitative, bibliometric analyses and qualitative research on the structure of science and the relations between science and society. Finally, we sketch perspectives for future research.     

坚定科学发展理念推进综合运输体系建设

首先论述了百余年来国际交通运输发展的进程和演化趋势,进而联系我国的实际,一方面肯定了我国在交通运输领域取得的骄人成就,另一方面又指出了当前存在的问题。文章认为,要解决这些问题必须认真落实科学发展观,必须坚定不移地发展综合运输体系,必须在某些交通基础设施建设上防止盲目和冲动。同时,作者还提出了发展综合运输体系的政策建议,其中包括优化交通运输网络结构、重视综合交通枢纽规划、提高综合交通信息化建设水平、推进交通运输管理体制改革、建立统一的交通运输行业管理机构、健全法律、制定配套政策等。     

Modelling and solution approaches for the interconnected city logistics

Achieving a sustainable delivery of goods in urban areas has become a challenging task for service providers and logistics managers. Under this context, the physical internet (PI) Manifesto offers through its emergent concept of interconnected city logistics (ICL) a solution toward a more sustainable transportation of PI containers within cities. In this article, we explore the operational urban transportation problem of PI containers under ICL considerations. For this variant, built on the multiplicity of urban logistics centres and their interconnection, a comprehensive modelling approach is proposed to include key features such as multiple time periods, multi-zone urban coverage, heterogeneous fleets, multi-trip and multi-hub pickups, and delivery constraints. In order to deal with solvability issues encountered with realistic instances of the problem, a heuristic solution approach is developed. This is done with the objective to come up with solutions offering the best trade-offs between economic and ecological attributes within a short computational time. To validate the approach, a realistic set of instances is built with data inspired from city freight movements in an urban area in France. Using these experiments, the solvability of the model and the performance of our heuristic approach are discussed and managerial insights are derived.     

Collaborating freight forwarding enterprises

The paper presents a model for the collaboration among independent freight forwarding entities. In the modern highly competitive transportation branch freight forwarders reduce their fulfillment costs by exploiting different execution modes (self-fulfillment and subcontraction). For self-fulfillment they use their own vehicles to execute the requests and for subcontracting they forward the orders to external freight carriers. Further enhancement of competitiveness can be achieved if the freight forwarders cooperate in coalitions in order to balance their request portfolios. Participation in such a coalition gains additional profit for the entire coalition and for each participant, therefore reinforcing the market position of the partners. The integrated operational transport problem as well as existing collaboration approaches are introduced. The presented model for collaboration is based on theoretical foundations in the field of combinatorial auctions and operational research game theory. It is applicable for coalitions of freight forwarders, especially for the collaboration of Profit Centres within large freight forwarding companies. The proposed theoretical approach and the presented collaboration model are suitable for a coalition of freight forwarding companies with nearly similar potential on the market.     

On research information and classification governance in an inter-organizational context: the Flanders Research Information Space

In a knowledge-based economy, a good overview of the scientific and technological portfolio is essential for policy formation and driving knowledge transfer to the industry and the broad public. In order to enhance open innovation, the Flemish public administration has created a Flanders research information portal that integrates information available from its data providers (research institutions, funding organizations…) using the Common European Research Information Format standard. Although this standard allows for almost unlimited flexibility for modelling the research information, it has limitations when it comes down to communication to end-users, in terms of semantics. However, interoperability of research information is only meaningful when a well-defined semantics is used and hence acts as a leverage for comparability of the information provided on the portal, including its derived services offered to the research community, research-driven organizations and policy makers. This paper describes the implementation of a business semantics tool that governs the meaning of the data concepts and classifications used for research information, in particular research funding, as a means to unambiguously exchange and interpret research data.     

Gantry crane scheduling in intermodal rail-road container terminals

Modern rail-road container terminals serve as important consolidation nodes in intermodal transportation networks where containers are transferred between freight trains and trucks. Among the most important decision problems in these yards is the crane scheduling problem, which decides on the sequences of container moves executed by each of the parallel gantry cranes. This paper treats a rich crane scheduling problem, which considers plenty relevant constraints and is directly applicable in Chinese intermodal terminals. For solving this problem, we propose a fix-and-optimise procedure, which is easy to implement and shown to successfully solve even large-sized instances with 100 container moves in reasonable time.     

Multivariate crash modeling for motor vehicle and non-motorized modes at the macroscopic level

Macroscopic traffic crash analyses have been conducted to incorporate traffic safety into long-term transportation planning. This study aims at developing a multivariate Poisson lognormal conditional autoregressive model at the macroscopic level for crashes by different transportation modes such as motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes. Many previous studies have shown the presence of common unobserved factors across different crash types. Thus, it was expected that adopting multivariate model structure would show a better modeling performance since it can capture shared unobserved features across various types. The multivariate model and univariate model were estimated based on traffic analysis zones (TAZs) and compared. It was found that the multivariate model significantly outperforms the univariate model. It is expected that the findings from this study can contribute to more reliable traffic crash modeling, especially when focusing on different modes. Also, variables that are found significant for each mode can be used to guide traffic safety policy decision makers to allocate resources more efficiently for the zones with higher risk of a particular transportation mode.     

Towards prediction of paradigm shifts from scientific literature

Amid the enormous volume of knowledge generated due to knowledge explosion, to a great extent, scientific literature mining can play a crucial role in research evaluation and tracking of important developments. Linked through citation relations, scientific literature forms network of papers or citation networks. Citation network analysis is gaining recognition as effective tool for research evaluation. Paradigm shift detection is of great importance to a multitude of beneficiaries and prediction of such paradigm shifts is of much greater gravity towards policy making. Recently, a metric named Flow Vergence (FV) gradient is proposed to detect paradigm shift pivots in scientific literature using the property named as FV effect. In this paper, its predictive power is investigated and tested statically and dynamically using publications in the field Nanotechnology for Engineering for a period 1989–2014. Validation included a post analysis validation of the field in 2017. As predictive power of FV gradient is confirmed, it can be regarded as an effective method for prediction of likely paradigm shifts and added to the tool kit of research evaluators and policy makers.     

Analyzing the determinants of carbon emissions from transportation in European countries: the role of renewable energy and urbanization

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - The continuous growth of transport sector and the increase in carbon emissions from transportation attract the attention of policy makers in...     

The impact of diversifying and de novo firms on regional innovation performance in an emerging industry: a longitudinal study of the U.S. ethanol industry

There is growing interest among strategy scholars and policy makers regarding the influence of diversifying and de novo firms on regional innovation activities in emerging industries. This paper examines how the population, entry, and exit of diversifying and de novo firms in regions influence regional innovation output in an emerging industry. Using longitudinal data from the U.S. ethanol industry, we find that the local population and exit of diversifying and de novo firms have differing impacts on regional innovation output. Our findings contribute to the literature on firm heterogeneity, agglomeration, and regional innovation systems.