About the project
What are the main aspects ePIcenter focusses on?
- The first aspect is visibility and collaboration, making the supply chains or logistic processes more transparent through cyber secure data exchange and sharing.
- The second aspect is optimisation, using new data and emerging technologies in a smart way, developing AI algorithms and simulation techniques that can optimise the real life logistics and synchromodal planning processes end users are facing daily.
In combination, the work on these two themes will take a major step towards the Physical Internet concept and seamless sustainable global freight flows. By working closely with industry partners, dealing with real life situations, the project delivers relevant applications, that can easily be transferred to other end-users. Taking into account emerging technologies (e.g. hyperloop, automated vehicles) and trade routes (Silk route, Arctic route) in the simulation modules, the project also prepares for the future and challenges ahead. Ultimately the project will contribute to a more efficient and sustainable multimodal freight transport system and logistics.
Visibility & Collaboration
End-to-end visibility has become the one of top 3 strategic objectives of supply chain management. Yet only 6% of the firms have complete visibility (GEODIS, Supply Chain Worldwide Survey, 2017). The ePIcenter project works on all ‘aspects’ of visibility. It demonstrates technological solutions to create end-to-end visibility of supply chains and establishes strong governance rules that offer stakeholders security and control over their own data.
Optimisation, Technology & Efficiency
“Digitisation will have the impact on supply chains that steam and electricity had on manufacturing” (J. Terino, Bain & Company, The Economist, Jun 11th 2019). To increase the efficiency of supply chains and reduce their environmental impact, supply chain processes and operations need to be optimised. The ePIcenter project develops AI algorithms and logistics optimisation and simulation software that enable the end-to-end optimisation of logistics processes.
Applications
The ePIcenter applications represent actual solutions for real life challenges the industry is facing. To trial and test the ePIcenter solutions in real life conditions, 13 end-users are involved, representing major logistics and supply chain organizations. Partners collaborating in these demos are: AB Inbev, Den Hartogh, DHL, Beijing Trans Eurasia International, PKP (Polish rail operator), Panasonic, Volkswagen’s daughter logistics company GVZe, Astazero, STENA, Port of Algeciras, Port of Antwerp, Port of Montreal, Duisport.
