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HITS challenges the logistics system with innovation

Friday, March 27, 2020

HITS is a new research and innovation project that is managed by CLOSER together with Scania. The project will develop sustainable transport solutions for an attractive and safe city.

Elisabeth Hörnfeldt, project manager for HITS at Scania Research & Innovation, explains that Scania is a technology-driven company that conducts research internally. However, in a collaboration between 15 partners over four years, the HITS project will take a broader approach that will also include business models.

CLOSER plays an important role as coordinator and will support Scania as project manager. CLOSER's experience in creating arenas and structures for innovation and cooperation will be beneficial when HITS researches and develops new business models and tests new practical solutions and concepts for sustainable urban logistics.

- "We see great potential in developing efficient transport solutions together with property owners, cities, municipalities, freight carriers, logistics companies, IT companies and academic research," says Elisabeth. 

The project will address several difficult but important issues in order to promote changes in the areas related to the challenge. Some of the most important issues involve policy for open sharing of transport data and adaptation of legislation issues, not lastly in consideration of development of new transport and vehicle services. Geofencing is one of several examples of technology with great potential to create a safer and cleaner city, but infrastructure and regulations, both national and international, must be adapted in order to achieve global sustainability goals.

The project is partly financed by Vinnova, a so-called FFI project (strategic vehicle research and innovation programme).

A key factor for HITS to become a successful project is that the work is based on user and customer needs. That is what makes business models so important and it is essential that trust between participants in the transport and logistics chain is established.

-"My hope is that HITS will be a project that makes a difference in order to make things happen. HITS - we make it happen," says Elisabeth Hörnfeldt, who presented the HITS project at CLOSER's annual meeting on 20 March. 

More information about the project will be presented on CLOSER's home page in the spring.

Presentations from CLOSERs annual meeting 200319

The ambition of the innovation project HITS is to challenge today's logistics system. In HITS, we work based on the critical business needs of the users in the logistics system and, with the help of the new technologies Autonomous, Connected, Electric and Shared Vehicles (ACES), we are creating a new sustainable and viable logistics system.

Facts
HITS 2024 (Sustainable & Integrated Urban Transport System) is managed by Scania in collaboration with CLOSER and the consortium includes CatenaDagabEricssonFabege, FTL Logistics, Göteborgs UniversitetHavi LogisticsIVLKTHLinköpings UniversitetLogTradeRagnsellsRiseStockholms stad & Upphandling Södertörn.