Project summary

Inland ports are key for multimodal transport chains, for both continental and maritime transport. There are 225 inland ports in Europe, many of which act as key multi-modal logistics and economic hubs near urban nodes, providing mobility infrastructure and smart solutions for both passengers and freight.

MultiRELOAD enhances the collaboration between different freight nodes in Europe to jointly test innovations and create favourable market conditions for multimodal freight transport solutions. To this end, MultiRELOAD will demonstrate solutions in three Innovation Areas with specific aims by 2025, mirroring the measures of the EU’s Smart Mobility Strategy, as follows:

• Smart multimodal logistics: facilitate a shift from road to rail & IWT of 5%;
• Digital & Automated Multimodal Nodes and Corridors: increase operational efficiency by 20 % raise of handling capacity;
• Innovative business models: average cost reduction of freight transport by 10%

In MultiRELOAD, the Port of Duisburg together with the Ports of Vienna and Basel will lead the transition of inland ports towards carbon-neutrality by jointly testing, demonstrating, evaluating and rolling out highly innovative multimodal freight solutions in seven different demonstrations structured in the three thematic innovation areas named above. MultiRELOAD demonstrators will be set up, implemented and evaluated by regional consortia with port authorities, operators, supported by technology and service providers, and relevant research organizations. All MultiRELOAD innovations promise to significantly increase the flexibility, service visibility and reduce the average cost of freight transport on average by 10%.

Results and impact

MultiRELOAD is structured along three Innovation Areas with a total set of seven demonstrators, that provide answers to the specific challenges of ports & terminals in their transition to effective and efficient multimodal freight transport operations.

• Flexible, high volume, fully automated multimodal shift from road to rail (Port of Duisburg & other European terminals);
• Transporting Bulk Cargo in Multimodal Containers (Port of Vienna and along the Rhine-Danube corridor)
• Automation of handling processes in inland terminals by determining the position of loading units (Multimodal terminals at the Port of Duisburg & the Port of Vienna)
• Predictive maintenance for port handling equipment (Multimodal terminals at the Port of Duisburg)
• Terminal Simulation and predictive container positioning (Multimodal terminal at the Port of Duisburg)
• Multimodal Node Digital Twin (Ports of Duisburg & Basel)
• Multimodal Corridor Digital Service (Ports of Duisburg, Vienna & Basel)

MultiRELOAD’s innovative solutions will be developed further towards sound business plans & models, ready for a wide uptake, thus improving the overall market maturity. 

The two already existing business incubators startport in Duisburg and thinkport Vienna will provide business angel expertise for new services & start-ups developing smart multimodal solutions. Finally, a wealth of final customers (i.e. logistics service providers, freight forwarders and cargo owners) will be directly involved by means of the MultiRELOAD User Forum for the validation of innovations, thus ensuring the market-readiness of solutions.