Modular load units, in combination with smoother supply chain interfaces, is expected to improve transportation efficiency by achieving greater load factors, higher infrastructure utilisation, faster transportation, better security, less emission, and fewer damages and losses. ICONET is coming to facilitate end to end optimised PI flow is circumventing a key internet semantic that differs in the PI world, namely packet size and hence ICONET needs to factor differential load units in to PI optimisation equations. The industry and ICONET have to consider intelligent cargo capabilities and modular load units as a fundamental prerequisite to a successful PI. Consequently, special attention has to be given to complementary and emerging architectures, ultimately enhancing M2M specifications and associated data models in order to design a fully interoperable IoT segment.
IMPORTANCE to SOCIETY
ICONET will (a) provide roadmap recommendations as to how the PI will accelerate the strategic evolution of the T&L sector with new logistic models and technologies, such as ports as PI hubs, mega-hubs, modular loading units, mobile distribution points, autonomous (unmanned) delivery vehicles, and others; (b) Analyse and evaluate the impact of the proposed PI approach and investigate financing and investment sharing strategies and therefore prove the value of PI, in improving operational efficiency, (c) prove and promote the environmental benefits of the project to target audiences across Europe and (e) through the project's Transferability Framework will enhance the capacity of external actors with EU, to adopt the PI Concepts.
ICONET OBJECIVES
O1. Establish the ICONET PI Framework formalising business and governance models that support the aforementioned four PI Capabilities and the broader PI concept and produce a PI Hubs Plan for the strategic positioning, size and optimal number of hubs needed to effectively link the long-distance network to urban centres.
O2. Research and investigate an experimental Cloud-based PI Control and Management Platform, appropriately transferring successful and proven Digital Internet counterparts, including Networking, Cloud, IoT and Blockchain technologies, so as to compose a digital PoC that will encompass:
O3. Deploy and test the PoC in four (4) industry-representative Living Labs with the end goal of measuring, demonstrating and quantifying business value, economic viability, innovation, deployment-related issues, and cost- benefit analyses. As well as revealing key areas for future R&D, this will in turn pave the way towards the first operational PI Network involving members from three leading associations – European Shippers Council, UIRR and ELUPEG.
O4. Establish Impact, Communication, Capacity building and Commercialisation strategies, plans and activities to deliver a comprehensive feasibility study, market analyses and business plan with a view to assessing both the potential and cost dimensions for a commercial grade platform that implements ICONET’s Control and Management Platform at enterprise SaaS scale.
