Executive Summary : | The development of multimodal freight transportation systems, particularly in Asia and Europe, is driven by the need for efficient goods transportation. Countries with navigable waterways, such as India and Austria, have the potential to reduce transportation costs and improve river transport infrastructure. However, the development of inland waterways has been limited in these countries. A proposed research collaboration between India's IIT BHU and Austria's University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria aims to address this gap by identifying barriers, assessing logistics costs, identifying necessary infrastructural changes, and planning routes and ports efficiently. The project will involve visits from Indian and Austria researchers each year to strengthen collaboration and streamline research activities.
Austrian and Indian research teams are working on enabling multimodal connectivity through inland waterways. The team, led by Dr. Agnivesh Pani and Dr. Lisa-Maria Putz-Egger, focuses on freight transportation planning, mode choice, operation research, and spatial analysis. The project aims to provide quantitative solutions for seamless freight movements in urbanized, logistics-driven economies. The research will result in multiple Masters and PhD theses, scientific papers, and open-source publications. |