Editorial
Dear reader,
The whole consortium of SCOPE (Shared freight transport services connecting shipper and carrier operations) project is pleased to welcome you to its first newsletter.
An efficient freight transport system is essential for supporting regional economic growth and competitiveness and plays an important role in productivity and the social welfare of the Balkan-Med region, where road freight transport is the predominant mode. Recent political stability and improvements of living standards have reactivated the commercial market between Balkan countries and reinforced trade with Europe. To this end, there is a pressing need to address current inefficiencies and improve the performance of the trucking sector. Challenges regarding productivity, capacity utilization (e.g. 60% of trucks return empty) and environmental sustainability, resource use mismatch and lack of coordination and fragmentation of activities render the need of a valuable tool to provide to its users access to new markets and customers. Heavy administrative procedures hinder seamless freight transport flows, especially between North European and Balkan countries, highlighting the need for adopting solutions that will provide efficient road freight transport services. Freight exchange platforms aim to address the aforementioned needs and requirements offering services of real added-value.
The SCOPE newsletter aims to keep you informed about the project’s progress, news, events and results.
Wishing you an enjoyable reading!
Afroditi Anagnostopoulou
Hellenic Institute of Transport / Centre for Research and Technology Hellas Senior Reseracher, SCOPE project coordinator
Description & Objectives
The Project “Shared freight transport services connecting shipper and carrier operations” with the acronym“SCOPE” is being implemented under the “Transnational Cooperation Programme Interreg Balkan -Mediterranean 2014-2020” and is co-funded by the European Union and National Funds of the participating countries. The Project Partnership includes 8 partners that come from 3 countries(Greece, Albania and Bulgaria).
SCOPE project aims to address existing inefficiencies and improve the performance of the road freight transport system in the Balkan-Med region by providing a transnational, innovative and market-driven freight exchange platform. The SCOPE platform will build upon available knowledge and experience and will carefully consider local and transnational road freight transport conditions, providing value-added services (operating cost estimation, routing applications, cargo monitoring, etc.) meeting its users’ needs and requirements, socio-economic and environmental benefits to its users; facilitating their access to new markets; improving their competitiveness; creating employment and investment opportunities.
The main objectives of SCOPE project include:
- The development of an innovative web-based platform that will facilitate shared road freight transport services efficiently connecting national and transnational shipper and carrier operations.
- The enhancement of territorial competitiveness and sustainability, thus contributing towards a more efficient business environment in Balkan-Med region.
- The early establishment of transnational cooperation between relevant industry stakeholders by creating business friendly conditions for the platform’s start-up and easy access to the market.
SCOPE Kick-off meeting
On 8th of November 2019, Interreg Balkan-med “SCOPE” project launched its work during a successful Kick-off-Meeting. The consortium consist of 8 members from Albania, Bulgaria and Greece. Throughout the event, the partners emphasized on the SCOPE project’s outcomes and agreed upon the future collaboration requirements and expectations. along with the upcoming working goals that should be reached.
Thanks also to the attendees, Stefan Kostadinov (BCCI), Dimitrios Nalmpantis (AUTh/TSRG), Pavlina Lazaridou (AUTh/TSRG), Vasiliki Amprasi (AUTh/TSRG), Evangelos Genitsaris (AUTh/TSRG), Aristotelis Naniopoulos (AUTh/TSRG), Arbi Hoxha (CCIT), Majlinda Lila (MIE), Pervin Pasholli (MIE), Ivo Tsarev (RIA Smolyan), Maria Baxevani (PCTh), Pavlos Kazantzidis (PCTh), Aneta Shehonova (SmCCI), Nedko Pashamov (RIA Smolyan) and Irina Kehayova (RIA Smolyan).
Lastly thanks to Dr. Maria Boile (CERTH-HIT) and the moderator Dr. Afroditi Anagnostopoulou (CERTH-HIT) for their speeches, presentations, photos and for hosting the event. We would like to thank all the participants that brought their expertise and experience, and engaged in the fruitful and constructive discussions.
Latest News
SCOPE publication about digitalizing freight transport services in Balkan area
The publication of a new article entitled “Digitalization in freight transport services: Balkan area”, by A. Akac, A. Anagnostopoulou (CERTH-HIT) and D. Nalmpantis (AUTh/TSRG) was submitted and presented in the 5th Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Virtual CSUM2020.
