Research project CP/44 (Research action CP)
Context
The Brussels (VUB) - Liège (ULg ) research team is at present the main Belgian research group on intermodal transport issues. The present project aims to pursue an intermodal transport development research agenda that will focus on critical "missing links" in public policy and will include extensive strategy implications for the various actors involved, more specifically the national and regional governments, the transport companies and the transport users.
Project description
The prior researches led to the conclusion that both practitioners and public policy makers should focus on different aspects still largely "missing links". The present research project proposes an in-depth investigation of these elements.
The research process suggested by the research team does imply a bottom-up approach, and is complementary to the more conventional top-down approaches usually resulting from academic research. The research areas proposed here should therefore be viewed as the foundations of a new intermodal transport policy approach in order to foster a more attractive, transparent and co-operative environment for the various players in the transport market.
The main bottlenecks that hinder the growth of intermodal transport include the lack of a coherent location policy for intermodal terminals, the lack of transparency of the intermodal market which makes it difficult to engage in a modal shift, and the quality problems prevailing in intermodal transport as compared to road transport.
Objectives
The present project aims to integrate the knowledge bases acquired by the two research groups and to pursue an intermodal transport development research agenda that will focus on critical "missing links" in public policy and will include extensive strategy implications for the various actors involved, more specifically the national and regional governments, the transport companies and the transport users.
The joint research teams have identified several elements requiring urgent and in-depth study, namely:
1) Intermodal transparency concerning pricing.
2) The required added-value services to be provided.
3) The bundling possibilities to grow the use of intermodal transport.
4) Modal scan exercises.
Methodology
Each of the defined elements will be examined on the basis of the following components:
- The international academic researches on the topic.
- The previous results obtained by the team.
- The actual efforts (or lack of efforts) from different professional organisations and public agencies on the topic concerned in Belgium and also in others European countries.
- The coherence with the goals of transport policies of the Belgian and regional governments.
1) Analysis of prices
The present project aims to increase transparency of intermodal transport pricing through developing and administering, with the key suppliers of intermodal transport services in Belgium, a survey instrument.
2) Added-value services
Which additional value added services may increase the users’ willingness to pay a higher price for intermodal transport as compared with unimodal road transport (ex.: fulfilment of the role of proximate external stock warehouse)?
3) Bundling possibilities
An evaluation model allows gaining insights into the actual bundling processes especially in function of the possibilities provided by so-called new generation terminals.
4) Modal scan analysis
The research team will conduct a number of high profile case studies in "high potential" companies with substantial traffic volumes that could be shifted to intermodal transport.
Interaction between different partners
Each partner will be involved in each part of the study sometimes as responsible and sometimes as partner.
ANAST will be responsible for the following points:
- Analysis of prices.
- Insight of necessary added-value services.
VUB will be responsible for the following points:
- The bundling possibilities.
- Modal scan analysis.
Expected results and /or products
The stimulation of intermodal transport is at present an important priority for public policy makers. Given the expectation of increased road congestion and other road externalities in the future, public agencies face powerful incentives to stimulate the growth of intermodal transport.
A great number of high-quality papers on the topic can be expected. The research team intends to present the results at the 2004 World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR) and various European Transport conferences.
The transport sector will greatly benefit from the project in direct and indirect ways.
Partners
Activities
ANAST
ANAST is a department of the University of Liege having research, teaching, training and consultant activities in Transportation Systems Analysis fields. Founded and headed by Professor Jean Marchal (Full Professor at the University of Liege and a leading Belgian scholar in the areas of transport modelling, technical and economical analysis of transport systems).
ANAST main research methodology is based on global and integrated approaches taking into account technical and economical and/or social-economical aspects, realised in a multidisciplinary way and supported by evaluation instruments and decision-support tools.
VUB
The department "Business Economics and Strategic Mangement" is specialised in the areas of transport policy evaluation and business-government interactions in variety economic sectors (including R & D policy, trade and investment policy, industrial policy). Within this department, Prof. A. Verbeke and Prof. C. Macharis are supporting the research in the domain of passenger and freight transport. Prof. A. Verbeke is also associated with the University of Oxford, the University of Antwerp, and the KULeuven. He has published 14 books and over 160 referred papers. Prof. C. Macharis is giving the courses Transport economics and logistics management and Sustainable Mobility and Supply Chain Management at the Managementsschool Solvay of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Contact Information
Promoter
Jean Marchal
Université de Liège (ULg)
Architecture navale et analyse des systèmes de transport (ANAST)
1, chemin des Chevreuils, Bât B52/3, B-4000 Liège
Tel: +32 (0)4 366 92 27; Fax: +32 (0)4 366 91 33
J.Marchal@ulg.ac.be
http://www.ulg.ac.be/anast
Partner
Cathy Macharis and Alain Verbeke
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Vakgroep voor Bedrijfseconomie en Strategisch Beleid
Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 629 22 86; Fax : +32 (0)2 629 20 60
cathy.macharis@vub.ac.be
http://www.vub.ac.be/bedr/
Bases of a growth of intermodal transport in Belgium: The search of "Missing Links" : final report
Marchal, Jean - Macharis, Cathy - Verbeke, Alain ... et al Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2007 (SP1766)
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