SARIL

Status

In progress

Description

Sustainability and Resilience for Infraestructure and Logistic network - SARIL

The aim of the project is to promote the resilience of European freight transport to recent disruptions in transport networks.

The project aims to extend conventional resilience analyses focused on the functionality and efficiency of processes and systems to environmental aspects, mainly carbon emissions.

The approach focuses on an investigation around three scenarios: regional, national and global. Each of the scenarios will address different threats and disruptions to different types of transportation networks, including cyber-attacks on a regional scale, climate change-derived phenomena on a national scale, and events generated from the Covid 19 pandemic and war in Ukraine on a global scale.

The results of this research will help predict future threats that may affect the logistics function. Different measures will be evaluated to mitigate such threats and any kind of disruption that may influence the current functioning of transport networks (lack of carriers, extreme weather events, sea level rise...). Finally, a set of recommendations will be elaborated with measures that allow us to efficiently mitigate disturbances, as well as regulatory measures that promote alternatives with a lower environmental impact.

Simulation models developed by partners with extensive experience in resilience and sustainability will be used.

Objectives

SARIL aims to achieve the following three innovations:

• Developing a holistic modelling concept of the European transportation network by connecting three scenarios at different geographical scales.
• Establishing a “green resilience” management including safety and security aspects for logistics.
• Evaluating and developing new mitigation measures, employing simulations to predict their effectiveness.

Expected impact

Application of synchro-modal principles in logistics management:

Combining information about disruptions and their effects on the logistics network with the use of synchro-modal principles for logistics management. Movement of charge will be effective, despite disruptions. Key results will be: reduced queues due to redirected cargo flows and delays of cargo deliveries kept to a minimum.

State-of-the-art analysis of risks and mitigation measures for logistics:

The project collects the perspectives of several different stakeholders on relevant risks for the logistics network in context of the SARILscenarios. Additionally, mitigation measures are collected. All contributing stakeholder (and other interested parties) will benefit from this analysis by seeing different perspectives on the logistic network.

Interconnected analysis of scenarios at different geographical scales:

The SARILscenarios consider different geographical scales. This makes the complicated logistics network more accessible since each scenario focuses on different aspects. Still, by interconnecting the observations for the SARILscenarios, the overall picture will still allow for statements on the full logistical network. Stakeholders (and others) will benefit from this organized approach since it will improve their understanding of the overall logistics network.

Modelling of logistics network with risks and mitigation options:

The project constructs models of the logistics network (with risks and mitigation options) which will be used to assess the green resilience for different events with varying bounding conditions (which mitigation measure is applied, how fast is it implemented etc). Stakeholders (and other interested parties) will benefit from these predictions by comparing them to their own expectation.

Collection of possible future risk mitigation measures:

The project also collects possible innovative mitigation measures which might be implemented to make the logistics network more resilient and also more sustainable. This list of innovative measures can support logistics operators to refine their operations to tackle disturbances.

Derivation of a green resilience definition:

By inspecting the environmental burden of risk mitigation measures and by proposing strategies to support green solutions, the project can support the transition of the logistics network to greener solutions.

Construction of prototypical scenarios:

The SARILscenarios at different geographical scales can be seen as prototypical studies of the diverse challenges the logistics network is facing. Due to this prototypical aspect, the scenarios can be used in future from different parties to re-assess the logistics’ green resilience.

Contribution

• Green Port: promotes the efficiency of processes and systems taking into account environmental aspects, mainly carbon emissions.
• Innovative Port: integrates an ecosystem of knowledge, transfer, entrepreneurship and R&D&I, fostering a culture of innovation, resilience and sustainability in the transportation and logistics sector.
• Connected Port: improves logistics and transport coordination and efficiency by promoting the resilience of European freight transport.

Project funded by the EU Horizon-RIA