CESAR

Kick-off year : 1996 Title : Co-operative European System for Advanced Information Redistribution Programme : 4th/5th Framework Program Status : Completed Link : www.cesar-online.com

CESAR is the result of two consecutive projects that were promoted by the European Union and the Swiss Federal Department for Education and Sciences between 1996 and 2001. On the basis of the research and development of the two projects, the company ‘Cesar Information Services’ was founded in April 2004 in order to implement and further develop a commercial service for CT operators and their customers.

The CESAR projects demonstrated how to create a unique European interface for several operators towards their customers. The goal of CESAR is to connect the different systems of CT operators to react like one EDI system towards their clients. The EDI connection was done in a pilot application between three major CT-operators in close collaboration with other operators and partners in intermodal transport as a model to encourage European harmonization and standardization.

The new operating company “Cesar Information Services” with head office in Brussels, ensures the functioning of CESAR, coordinates the integration of further operators and is responsible for the set up of functionalities for transeuropean communication with the clients and amongst the operators. CESAR handles yearly data concerning 2.3 million loading units representing 2/3 of the total volume of the UIRR companies. Up to now, more than 400 clients use the system. CESAR works in four languages and is accessible right around the clock.