Press release: Improvements needed for Intercontinental CT 09/05/23

On 3 May 2023, UIRR reported to a large audience on the activities related to intercontinental transport performed in the context of the EU co-funded project PLANET.

The main results presented during the online webinar were:

§ The digital demonstrator for intercontinental document management: The demonstrator shows how digitalisation of documents can help to improve coordination, transit time and quality using decentralized data sharing via blockchain technology. UIRR, Hupac, VTG and the consulting company Consilis designed the demonstrator on the New Silk Road, that was developed by the Dutch company Docklab, a technology lab and venture studio rooted in the Port of Rotterdam.

§ The Intercontinental Collaborative Platform (ICP)[1] was launched by UIRR and IBS as an open group to link CTOs, other associations, LSPs, and shippers to help develop the New Silk Road. Moderated by Consilis, the ICP elaborated a manifesto[2] to identify hurdles and recommendations covering Europe, the New Silk Road and China. The ICP Manifesto aims to improve the conditions for trade and transport in eight specific areas:

§ Green hydrogen as a new growth potential for Combined Transport: Hydrogen shipments were identified as one area to develop new business potential in intercontinental Combined Transport. Consilis presented key results from a pre-feasibility and roadmap study to open the New Silk Road towards land-locked Central Asian hydrogen producing countries[2].

In the context of the ICP, Director A of DG MOVE Ms Mona Björklund, presented an overview of the European Commission’s efforts to improve the conditions for successful trade and transport via the New Silk Road, namely the role of the connectivity platform, the EU global gateway concept, the solidarity lanes with Ukraine and the study of the World Bank (officially presented on 19 May 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan).

PLANET Living Lab 2 is working on dynamic and synchromodal management to achieve synergies between the TEN-T network and intercontinental rail freight flows. Under the coordination of UIRR, the second use case focuses on the development of intermodal services on the Eurasian corridor with the aim to increase the share of rail freight.

“The EU co-funded PLANET project has been proven as a successful instrument in creating the right links between key Combined Transport stakeholders active on the Eurasian routes.  The right links are always preferred over the creation of dependencies. ” – pointed out UIRR President Ralf-Charley Schultze.