Loco on logistics
An effort to collect valuable information from previous EU logistics projects and distribute it to businesses in need has borne much fruit in the sector, particularly in Central Europe. The EU-funded project 'Central European network for logistics competence' (Central Loco) promoted the dissemination and exploitation of EU research projects across the logistics and transport sector. The project successfully identified 120 research projects in logistics and intermodal transport, creating a database that could be browsed online. Many businesses within the sector did not have the adequate knowledge or experience that the leading ones had, particularly in connection with safety and security over different modes of transport. Central Loco focused in particular on the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia where the transport and logistics sector was deemed deficient. At its launch in 2005, the project established a website and hosted a workshop in Prague, Czech Republic, in the same year. The 'New telematic solutions in logistics' workshop hosted 10 engaging presentations which were presented for discussion. In 2007, a second workshop took place in Budapest, Hungary, addressing 'Problems and new solutions in logistics with special regard to automatic identification'. It presented novel solutions in advanced logistics, focusing on a global system powered by radiofrequency identification (RFID) and Electronic Product Code (EPC). Around 40 % of participants represented business organisations in the field, well above the attendance rate expected for the business sector. The workshops also gathered stakeholders from the research and business environments, mostly from Central Eastern Europe, seeking to foster cooperation in novel ways. Also noteworthy, the Central Loco conference organised by the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (ILIM) took place alongside the prestigious Polish 'LOGISTICS 2006' congress. The conference tackled various logistics topics and attracted 600 participants instead of the envisioned 200. All these efforts were supplemented by regular newsletters to a growing audience of 5,500. Overall, the project created many opportunities for new projects to grow and for businesses to upgrade their services. It also encouraged relevant businesses to join the European Framework Programmes and raise their level to a truly international one.
