Project Description
SoCool@EU (Sustainable Organisation
between Clusters of Optimised Logistics @ Europe) was launched on
01-01-2012. This 3-year project, funded by the Regions of Knowledge
initiative (FP7-REGIONS-2011-1) of the 7th Framework Programme of the
European Commission, has a total budget of around EUR 2.5 million.
The project aims to create an open
European platform of excellence in the area of supply chain management
and logistics in connection with hubs and gateways that will be open for
participation by other regional clusters with a logistics and
transportation profile after its establishment. Its purpose is to enable
research-driven regional clusters throughout Europe to collaborate and
exchange experiences for increasing sustainability and competitiveness
of logistical services and intermodal transport operations.
The consortium consists of five clusters
that represent essential areas of logistics (deep-sea hubs, airports,
land-hubs and short-sea hubs) and its operational objectives are the
following:
- Fostering trans-national cooperation
between research-driven clusters as well as mutual learning between
regional actors. The clusters will work in the areas of interconnecting
major EU gateways and hubs for sustainable intermodal transport;
mitigating local and regional effects of major hub activities and
coordinate involved actors; increasing logistics added value without
increasing transport and traffic volumes; enhancing environmental and
economic efficiency of urban freight transport and logistics.
- Developing and implementing joint
action plans at the European level to increase regional economic
competitiveness. These action plans will support and drive the creation
of the EU policies within intermodal transportation and co-modality and
the creation of knowledge that will allow Europe to increase its
economic growth without increasing its CO2 emissions.
- Supporting the internationalization of
the regional research-driven clusters. SoCool@EU has been set up as a
starting point and will evolve into an open European platform of
excellence that will contribute to the internationalization of regional
clusters and the importance of research.
- Mentoring regions with a less developed
research profile. The cluster platform will be created by highly
developed regions that will offer mentoring to regions with a less
developed research profile, share knowledge and provide access to a
network of clusters beyond SoCool@EU to support their capacity building.
In the project the needs of the
stakeholders will be analyzed, a strategy for international cooperation
will be elaborated, and adequate plans for joint action will be
initiated and implemented. In addition, training activities will be
carried out. The project will pursue its objectives especially through
extensive dissemination and exploitation activities.
Project partners
- Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics (Dinalog), NL – Coordinator
- House of Logistics & Mobility (HOLM), DE
- Asociación Logística Innovadora de Aragón (ALIA), ES
- Lund University (ULUND), SE
- Mersin Chamber of Commerce (MTSO), TR
Participating Third Parties:
- Zaragoza Logistics Center (ZLC), ES
- Instituto Tecnológico de Aragón (ITAINNOVA), ES
- Consejo Aragonés de Cámaras de Comercio e Industria (Chambers), ES
- Aragón Exterior (AREX), ES
- Vlaams Instituut voor de Logistiek VZW (VIL), BE
- N.V. Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), NL
- N.V. REWIN West-Brandt (REWIN), NL
- Eindhoven University of Technology(TU/e), NL
- Schumpeter Center for Clusters / Goethe University Frankfurt (SCC/GUF), DE
- Roskilde University (RUC), DK
- Transport Innovation Network (TINV), DK
- Maritime Development Center of Europe (EMUC), DK
- Mersin Logistics Platform (MLP), TR
- Mersin University (MU), TR
Contact information
For further information about the project, please contact:
Teresa Gaspar – tgaspar@ita.es
www.socool-logistics.eu
