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TRANSPORT-Transport 2025

Digitalisation of freight deliveries and collaborative public sector innovation

Alternative title: Digitalisering av varelevering og samarbeidsbasert offentlig sektor- innovasjon

Awarded: NOK 8.0 mill.

Project Number:

283332

Application Type:

Project Period:

2018 - 2022

Funding received from:

Subject Fields:

Partner countries:

By giving consumers immediate access to clothes, equipment, food or entertainment, technological innovations, applications and other forms of digitalization are promoting an on-demand economy. As a result, freight transport volumes are expected to increase by 40 per cent by 2050. This development is likely to challenge goals for emission-free freight transport in urban areas by 2030. To harmonize the sustainability effects of increasing numbers of logistics actors with conflicting interests, local and national authorities need tools to enable the joint management of city logistics in cooperation with private actors. DIGIN has looked at how digitalization of goods transport challenges existing principles of governance, organization and decision-making processes in the public sector. The project ran from August 2018 to October 2022. In the first phase of the project we conducted a literature review of digitalization trends in city logistics. This enabled us to develop a conceptual framework that classifies different digital technologies and analyze how well these are integrated into current logistics operations. We also looked at what sorts of challenges and possibilities digital technologies give for planning and management of goods deliveries. In our review we found few conclusions about the consequences that digitalization could have for societal goals; there is a need for more research in this area. In a second phase of the project, we conducted a large survey of transport and logistic companies, public administrators working with goods transport and interest organizations. Participants were asked about the consequences of digitalization for important societal goals (climate emissions, land use, mobility etc.), how the public sector could pave the way for digital transformation of city logistics, and effects of the corona crisis. The survey was supplemented with interviews and a workshop with representatives for the different actors. Our analyses suggest that logistic companies and local, regional and national authorities all believe that sensor technology, followed by automation, will have positive effects on climate gas emissions. The different actors expect that public authorities at different levels will arrange for and stimulate use of sensor data in city logistics and develop measures to solve challenges resulting from digitalization of supply chains. They expect that solutions will be tested in public-private collaborations. Our analyses indicated that digitalization allowed for resilience in goods delivery under the corona crisis. By using digital platforms to reach out to new customers, companies made up for reduction in demand from customers normally requiring physical access to goods in order to make purchases. In a third phase of the project, we carried out a seminar and workshop, where we presented and discussed results from the rest of the project to representatives of public actors influencing and influenced by urban goods delivery. The results suggest that public actors should exchange knowledge, give advice, support and incentives to the logistics sector, and make legislative changes, in order to stimulate digitalization in line with societal goals. It is expected that the municipalities will play an especially important role by making available data for modelling, planning or procedures for public procurement. It is expected that national authorities will develop legislation to allow municipalities to meet the expectations of private actors, and that regional municipalities will support processes for planning of city logistics at local level. So-called freight partnerships will be especially important in the future, and it is essential that these partnerships develop routines for sharing of data from sensors and other sources that digitalization makes possible. A doctorate study has also looked at public-private collaboration with a focus on how private actors influence policy design in city logistics. It was found that participation in networks gave the participants power to influence policy development. This power was given by being able to comment on plans and strategies, set the agenda for city logistics, and promote self-interests. Our results indicated that the power to influence policy varies depending on how collaboration is organized. A main finding was that inclusive collaboration with limited mutual dependence gave the participants a greater chance to influence policy, compared with exclusive collaboration in which the participants are mutually dependent on each other.

Virkninger: Deltakelse av offentlige og private aktører i verksteder og andre aktiviteter har bidratt til dialog blant potensielle samarbeidspartner, og har gitt økt deltakerne bevissthet om den offentlige sektorens rolle digitalisering av bylogistikk. Potensielle virkninger: 1. Det forventes flere virkninger fra de vitenskapelige artiklene som er publisert. Disse vil blant annet gi forskere internasjonalt økt forståelse av hvordan sensorer kan brukes i offentlig styring av bærekraftig logistikk, og om hva som er viktig å tenke på når offentlig-privat samarbeid på bylogistikk skal organiseres. 2. En oppsummering av prosjektet formidlet til kommuner og fylkeskommuner i Norge vil bidra til offentlig sektors forståelse av: -- digitalisering i bylogistikk -- hvilken rolle kommuner, fylkeskommuner og nasjonale myndigheter kan spille overfor hverandre og private aktører, for å stimulere for økt digitalisering -- hvilke prosesser kan brukes for samvirkning

Digitalisation and technological innovations allow consumers to shop, dine, and access entertainment instantly and, using technology, consumers want these services delivered home promoting the on-demand-economy. Following this, freight volumes are expected to grow by 40 percent by 2050. This development is incompatible with the public sector environmental targets i.e. achieving 'essentially CO2-free city logistics in major urban centres by 2030'. Cities need methods of governance to incorporate reduction in emissions while accommodating the increasing number of urban freight deliveries. DIGINs primary objective is to study how digitalisation of freight transport challenges governance, policy, organisation and decision-making in the public sector. The project contributes to public sector innovation in terms of how policies, services and involvement can ensure that new trends and developments will contribute to a more sustainable transport system. The key challenges are to determine the impact of digitalisation trends on public sector roles, policy targets and decision-making, and to develop approaches for future governance and policy-making in a sector mainly operated by private stakeholders. The challenges are not unique for Norway, thus the project incorporates other Scandinavian experiences, and the work is done in joint collaboration with leading international experts. DIGIN will in the public-private landscape, in which urban freight operates, provide knowledge on how improved future urban freight requires public-private collaborative networks and that the roles of different levels of government in Norwegian urban planning and policy-making are clearly defined. The project provides public sector innovation in terms of developing processes and strategies for authorities in intervening in freight operations. It also captures how collaboration processes and interaction between private and public sector generates innovative urban freight policies and services.

Funding scheme:

TRANSPORT-Transport 2025