Tackling logistical challenges The conservation of the natural environment and the growing complexity of data flows are challenges the logistics sector has to face up to. Researchers and companies throughout Europe are working together to set up innovative strategies and smart solutions. Climate Change and Environment © Thinkstock Scientists and professionals from 14 research institutes and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worked within the framework of the LOG4GREEN project. LOG4GREEN partners from six European countries have joined forces to prepare and implement a joint action plan to sustainably boost regional competitiveness. Effective communication of stakeholders was crucial to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of transport. Specifically, knowledge, experience and ideas were discussed in multiple workshops initiated by the LOG4GREEN partners. The regional infrastructure and the economic environment provided best practice examples for mutual learning and mentoring. The collaboration of regional research-driven clusters aids effective knowledge exchange on logistics systems. For the SMEs, the main objective of going international with a cluster is to make new contacts and open up markets by joint activities. From the researchers' point of view, it is to build up new partnerships and apply for joint research projects. Training was not restricted to local conditions. The summer school scheduled for the second project year will help young experts adapt to innovations in information technologies (IT) and information management. Today, more than ever, logistics companies plan and execute complex operations with the use of IT — from production to distribution and recycling. Cooperation between scientists and companies will benefit research and technological development (RTD) with the implementation of new service-oriented software architectures. This is evidenced by the atlas of RTD competencies in the clusters participating in the LOG4GREEN project. Building up trust between the participating clusters and planning joint inter-regional activities will be used to follow one additional objective in the last phase of the project: a European logistics meta-cluster. The end result will be a sustainable eco-friendly and competitive European logistics and multi-modal transport infrastructure. Keywords Logistics, natural environment, data, SMEs, joint action plan, competitiveness, economic environment, research-driven clusters, information technologies, meta-cluster
