Transforming Transport - Big Data for efficient and sustainable logistics solutions

The award-winning Transforming Transport research project was funded by the EU as part of the Horizon 2020 program. The aim was to research and implement big data methods for innovative, efficiency-enhancing and sustainable transportation models. The project brought together leading transport, logistics and IT partners from across Europe, including Fraunhofer IML with its Software & Information Engineering and Transport Logistics departments.

A special feature of Transforming Transport was the practical demonstration of how big data is changing the mobility and logistics market. The research results were presented in a realistic, measurable and replicable way. The project was divided into 13 different pilots covering seven key application domains. This structure enabled a targeted analysis of the key challenges and opportunities for the European mobility and logistics sector.

Participation of the Software & Information Engineering department

The Software & Information Engineering department led the work package "Management of Knowledge, IPR, Data Governance and Data Protection". As part of this package, a generally applicable data management approach was developed that was used in all of the project's pilots. A particular focus was placed on the protection of intellectual property in all pilot projects.

Another key work package was "Dynamic e-commerce networks", in which the department designed and implemented a platform for cross-company data exchange. This platform facilitated the integration and harmonization of heterogeneous company data, enabling effective evaluation using big data methods.

Results and successes of the project

The Transforming Transport project provided important insights for the digital transformation of the transportation sector. The insights gained led to:

• Validation of concepts for cross-company data exchange
• Expansion of expertise in the area of big data for logistics and mobility
• Development of an e-business analysis platform for dynamic e-commerce networks

The successful completion of Transforming Transport was honored with the Best Success Story Award from the Big Data Value Association (BDVA).