European projects AEOLIX and SELIS will start developing and testing end-to-end supply chain visibility in European logistics for the first time. The multinational project partners from Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Slovenia, Ireland and Portugal have expressed their commitment to be involved in the ambitious AEOLIX project (Architecture for EurOpean Logistics Information eXchange) and the SELIS project (Shared European Logistics Intelligent Information Space).
The overarching goal is to streamline logistics operations by developing a cloud-based IT platform for supply chain actors to exchange data and services. The AEOLIX-SELIS approach is the first step towards fully digital transport operations with clear benefits for the transport industry: lower costs and greater transparency, to make logistics more efficient.
‘The AEOLIX and SELIS projects remain key contributors to achieving this goal’ said Eusebiu Catana, ERTICO’s Senior Manager for the AEOLIX platform. ‘To address the challenges and reap the benefits of data sharing in supply and logistics, a federative network of platforms and peer-to-peer solutions is necessary. This network of interoperable platforms will be created by means of protocols supporting data sharing services, thus allowing individual organizations to electronically share data with all relevant other stakeholders.’
Nikos Tsampieris, Project Manager for SELIS added that ‘Standardization of platform services enables individual platform providers to increase their market share, individual organizations, all enterprises and authorities, to select a solution of choice, and innovative companies and SMES to develop novel functionalities and deploy new services and innovative apps. Since there are many stakeholders involved, governance needs to be established to ensure sustainability of the solution.’
By using a combined approach in this unique, network of two platforms AEOLIX-SELIS, transport operators across Europe will be able to provide input electronically, store logistics information, and exchange data in real time in future trials.
With the financial support of the European Commission, the AEOLIX members (ATOS, PTV, UNITS, GeoNLS CERTH, T-SYSTEMS) together with the SELIS members (ILS, ICCS, CLMS, eBOS and ELGEKA) will set up a ‘living lab’ of ‘end to end supply visibility across the supply chains’.
The creation of a federative network of platforms is in line with the European Commission’s recommendations of DTLF (Digital Transport Logistics Forum) and vision of the future of logistics.
Dr Nikos Tsampieris and Dr Eusebiu Catana concluded that, ‘AEOLIX and SELIS are glad to be able to involve members in this innovative approach and work together towards a digital exchange infrastructure and more efficient future for mobility.’
