Thematic Network on Intelligent freight Transport Systems

1

• Thematic Network on Intelligent freight Transport
  Systems

presented by Prof.G.A. Giannopoulos Chairman of
THEMIS Technical Steering Committee
2
THEMIS mission

• THEMIS is a Thematic Network of industry and
  research professionals, that focuses on the place
  of Freight Transport within the European
  Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

3
THEMIS focus

• THEMIS is mainly focused on
• System Architecture issues (Freight Functional
  Framework)
• Traffic Management and Freight Transport
  Management integration
• Utilisation of past or current relevant projects
  results

4
Prime ITS elements of interest to THEMIS

• the European Air Traffic Management System
  (EATMS)
• the European Rail Traffic Management System
  (ERTMS)
• Road Traffic Management (RTM)
• Vessel Traffic Management and Information Systems
  (VTMIS)
• Freight Transport Management Systems (FTMS)
• E-commerce
• Standardisation.

5
THEMIS Objectives

• Contributing to the development of Intelligent
  Freight Transport Systems in Europe
• Creating a network of relevant parties
• Disseminating relevant information

6
1. Contributing to Intelligent Freight Transport
Systems

• Recommending how to link different ICT systems
• Traffic Management Systems with Freight Transport
  Management Systems
• Traffic Management Systems across modes (where
  relevant for freight transport)
• Freight Transport Management Systems along the
  transport chain

7
Integration requirements for ITS
Integration between TMS and FTMS
Transport Chain Company 1
Waterborne
Air
Shared Information
Door-to-door Transport Management System
Rail
Road
Waterborne
Air
Shared Information
Rail
Door-to-door Transport Management System
Transport Chain Company 2
Road Traffic Management system
Integration between Traffic Management Systems
Integration between Freight Transport Management
Systems
8
THEMIS WORKSTRUCTURE
CLUSTERING
Working Group 2 Description of Freight Transport
environment
Working Group 1 Description of Traffic Management
environment
N E T W O R K
Business cases for integrated systems
Current status of standardisation (3.3)
Existing system architectures (3.1)
Working group 3 Detailed design
Framework feasibility (3.4)
Standardisation proposals (4.3)
Implementation scenarios (4.1)
Identification of gaps/ missing links (4.2)
Recommendation future work (4.4)
CONCERTATION
9
Comprehensive inventory and synthesis of relevant
RTD projects

• The systematic review of past and present
  relevant RTD projects results at both EU as well
  as at National level.

10
The clustering activities

• In the first two years, four rounds of
  clustering have been made as follows
• 1. All FP 4 projects were reviewed
• 2. All FP5 projects (were reviewed - current or
  finished)
• 3. Further focus on projects dealing with system
  Architecture and TMS FTMS interaction
• 4. National (at EU member state) RTD and/or
  commercial projects (under progress preliminary
  results available)

11
Main findings from the clustering activities

• identification of the areas of TMS and FTMS where
  more work needs to be done.
• indication of a particular need for more work on
  establishing a common Freight Functional
  Framework (FFF) or Architecture on which everyone
  can build all relevant applications.

Working Group 3 (WG3) is now devoted producing a
first outline of this FFF.
12
WG 1 Traffic management information and data
gathering to support intermodal freight transport
operations

• WG1 has provided
• an analysis of the present and planned traffic
  information systems for the four modes of
  transport
• an assessment of the availability of traffic data
  and its benefits to enhance the quality of FTMS
• a view - for each mode -on the

• traffic management environment, i.e. how it is
  organised,
• traffic information availability, i.e. what is of
  particular interest for freight transport
  information.

13
WG 2 ICT for developing information support and
for intermodal transport solutions

• WG2 has provided

• an overview of the freight sector with regard to
  the IT solutions currently available, parties and
  functions identified,
• a State of the Art analysis and
• an identification of requirements for the
  integration of FTMS with the TMS.

14
The THEMIS business cases (1/2)
The THEMIS business cases are actual or planned
applications that have been selected in order to
further demonstrate

• the current status and the benefits of
  integration of information exchanges between TMS
  and FTMS
• the needs and the great potential that exists of
  linking traffic management systems to freight
  transport management systems.

15
The THEMIS business cases (2/2)

• The Port of Hamburg road traffic management
  system (Germany)
• Traffic Information for long distance road
  freight transport (Germany)
• The Eurotunnel operation
• The Traffic Information reception system by the
  Jan de Rijk transport operator in the
  Netherlands.
• Road traffic data availability at Schiphol
  Airport (Netherlands)
• Danube shipping TMS FTMS system (Austria)
• The COMPRIS business case, linking TMS of
  various sources to freight planning systems.
• The Banverket case information exchange between
  national railway information systems and its
  customers ( Sweden)

16
The THEMIS Freight Functional Framework (1/4)

• The first phase of synthesising a Freight
  Functional Framework (FFF) has been concluded.
• The proposed Framework focuses on the
  identification of integration/linking
  opportunities of the four modes traffic
  management architectures with the corresponding
  freight transport architectures.

17
The THEMIS Freight Functional Framework (2/4)

• For the freight transport sector, a reference
  system architecture model has been developed and
  illustrated addressing in particular
•     

• the role of actors,
• the functionalities supported, and
• the information flow in-between.

18
The THEMIS Freight Functional Framework (3/4)
For the four modes the situation regarding
reference system architectures is as follows

• Road KAREN system architecture is available.
  Functions to be relevant for integration in a
  multimodal freight transport system architecture
  have been identified.
• Rail A comparable reference system architecture
  is missing. THEMIS (ARRC) has developed a
  top-level framework following the structure of
  KAREN.

19
The THEMIS Freight Functional Framework (4/4)

• Air The FARADEX system architecture is
  available as a reference model. Functions to be
  relevant for integration in a multimodal freight
  transport system architecture have been
  identified.
• Maritime In this sector, the developments of
  WATERMAN and ARKTRANS have been analysed in order
  to serve as a reference system architecture.

20
Standardisation work

• In the context of THEMIS a review of the current
  status of standardisation has been carried out,
  by reviewing all CEN/TC278 work, desk research
  and relevant project results.
• An internal report Review of current status of
  standardisation has been prepared and is
  currently available.
•  

21
Main conclusions and recommendations from the
standardisation work

• The area of standardisation is generally well
  attended in Europe.
• There are few missing standards and most of the
  gaps are being attended to, already.
• Europe plays an important role in the world
  freight transport and it is thus instrumental in
  the related international standardisation -
  normalisation work.
• The Commission needs to support more rigorously
  the work on (Freight transport) standardisation.
  (co-ordinate and support of the European
  standardisation initiatives.)
• Standardisation work is generally too slow.

22
THEMIS validation activities

• The main THEMIS concept evaluation validation,
  is performed on the

• Business cases examined, and
• THEMIS FFF.

23
Assessment of the feasibility of business cases

• The feasibility of the business cases has been
  performed according to the following assessment
  categories
•  

• Technical
• Operational
• Economic
• Organisational / Legislative

24
2. Creating a network of relevant parties

• Users
• Shippers, forwarders, transport companies,
  terminal operators
• Providers
• System providers, service providers
• Authorities
• Traffic Information Centres, infrastructure
  operators, customs, control authorities, policy
  makers
• Other 5FP projects and networks
• DG TREN, DG INFOSOC

25
3. Disseminating relevant information

• Clustering/concertation meetings
• Every 6 months information exchange with users,
  providers, authorities and relevant 5FP project
  representatives
• Electronic means
• Website www.hermes.civil.auth.gr/themis
• Electronic newsletter
• Ad hoc meetings with interesting initiatives
• Private market, EU funded projects, conferences,
  workshops, etc.

26
What can THEMIS offer?

• State of the art for transport and traffic
  management systems (all modes)
• Point to information sources on current and past
  ICT projects
• Contribute to ITS architecture and
  standardisation to improve ICT interconnectivity
• Link people and companies with similar or
  matching challenges in the transport sector
• Point to sources for funding of RD and
  implementation projects

27
How to get involved in THEMIS?

• Participate in Clustering meetings
• Participate in Concertation meetings
• Participate in Working Groups
• Make use of Electronic information means
• Become Associated Member

28
Project clustering
To co-ordinate 4th and 5th framework Programme
projects related to freight transport and traffic
management
29
Concertation meeting
To interact with all relevant parties in the
field of traffic management and/or freight
transport management
30
Working groups
To analyse certain issues in more detail for
further discussion in clustering and/or
concertation meetings
Working Group activities
Working Group 1 Traffic Management information
and data gathering to support intermodal freight
Working Group 2 ICT for developing information
support and for intermodal transport solutions
Working Group 3 Synthesis of a common intermodal
architecture framework taking account of TMS
31
Electronic Information Sources
To inform all relevant parties in an effective
and efficient way
Information sources
Deliverable downloads
Electronic discussion forum
Electronic newsletter
Website
32
Deliverables

• D1 State of the art of TMS and ICT for IFT
• D2 Inventory of RTD projects in the field of TMS
  and IFT information systems on national and EU
  level
• D3 Proposal for a feasible, user driven, system
  architecture to combine TMS and intermodal
  freight operation aspects
• D4 Specification of the needs for further
  standardisation in order to realize interoperable
  ICT applications for IFT
• D5 Recommendations for future work, supported by
  all relevant parties in the IFT sector
• D6 Overall dissemination activities report
• D7 THEMIS final report

33
Associated Membership

• Advantages
• Continuous up-to-date through electronic media
• Invitations for clustering and concertation
  meetings
• Free of charge
• How to register?
• Send e-mail to ronald.jorna_at_ecoryscom

34
THEMIS Network partners
Partners Assoc. Members (selection) NEI
(NL) Jan de Rijk (NL) TRD (GR) Telespazio
(IT) LogIT (NO) DEKonsult (DE) ISSUS
(DE) Proodos SA (GR) TFK (DE) Ministry of
Transport (NL) H/B (DE) Transport Logistics
(NL) AUTh (GR) 3B-Engineering (NL) NLR
(NL) MIZAR Automazione (IT) ARRC (UK) PMS
Consult (NL) Marintek (NO) Port of Thessaloniki
(GR)
35
Contact details
ECORYS Transport/NEI Ronald Jorna phone
31-10-4538796 fax [phone] e-mail
Ronald.Jorna_at_ecorys.com www. themis-network.org
36
Main findings from business cases validation

• The business cases provided mainly give evidence
  on the conceptual maturity of both the
  requirements and proposed solutions to be
  implemented.
• The road sector is more prepared to chase the
  challenge of establishing open technical
  solutions while the rail sector functions as a
  closed environment.

37
Main findings from business cases validation

• The waterborne sector (inland waterways in this
  case) is mainly concerned with the variety of
  actors involved and the complexity between the
  land and vessel based systems.
• The main common concern is to find the best way
  in transmitting useful processed information to
  the in-house MISs of the logistics entities.

38
Main findings from business cases validation

• The freight actors considered that critical
  operational factors can be significantly improved
  when there is accurate and updated traffic
  information.
• There are commonalities in the functions between
  the transport modes that are influenced from the
  use of traffic information
• Confidentiality, accuracy, security are the main
  legal and organisational issues

39
Assessment of the feasibility of FFF

• The validation of the THEMIS framework has been
  performed using three validation angles.
•  
• KAREN framework that has been used as validation
  reference model
•  
• Expert Groups (e.g. Clustering) that has
  commented on specific issues posed by the
  validation team
•  
• Business cases that has been used as test beds

40
Main findings from FFF validation (1/3)
The use of KAREN as reference model for the
comparison with FFF has shown the following main
differences

• KAREN is not multimodal architecture, in contrast
  to FFF.
• KAREN mainly addresses the fleet operations,
  since two out of the three functional areas of
  KAREN cover fleet management activities. FFF
  focuses on different freight business processes,
  such as terminal management and supplies
  management.

41
Main findings from FFF validation (2/3)

• FFF mainly consists of a synthesis of previous
  architecture initiatives, while KAREN was the
  end-result of a development effort starting from
  scratch and addressing a large number of user
  needs.
• FFF does not cover the architectural element of
  Data Stores, while KAREN the element of Roles.

42
Main findings from FFF validation (3/3)

• The validation of the FFF through the mapping
  exercise between the Business Cases processes and
  the FFF functions has shown a full coverage.
• Encouraging results from the validation of the
  FFF through the clustering mechanisms.