Maritime Trade and Transport - HWWI

6.3.2 Many roads lead to Rome: New technologies in the transport sector
Parallel to the increase in merchandise transport, the conflict between traffic and the environment
will become even greater. The EU Commission believes that the energy balance in the next
fifteen years will worsen by an additional 7.5% on balance. To counteract this, the consistent
use of technologies that are environmentally compatible and conserve resources is absolutely
mandatory for all transport sectors. In view of this, the topic of sustainability will be of
constantly growing significance for politicians, companies and investors.
The wealth of technological innovations – some already tested or implemented, some, as
described in Chapter 3.2.1, still seemingly futuristic – seems practically inexhaustible. Let us
mention a few examples here.
It will undoubtedly become more and more important, particularly in road freight transport,
to optimize the total transport volume, in order to avoid unnecessary costs and environmental
impact. 76 In our study Strategy 2030 – Energy Resources, we have already discussed
in detail the long-term changes – more in regard to cost than environmental aspects – to be
expected in the automotive industry. Rising gas prices will provide an impetus for accelerating
the development of new drive systems (hybrid, electric) and the use of alternative fuels (biodiesel,
synthetic additives, natural gas, hydrogen). This applies to both passenger and freight
transport. Trucks are already using – if only sporadically – natural gas, methanol or ethanol.
New technologies for drive systems such as hybrid engines and fuel cells are currently being
tested in trucks as well. This trend is likely to intensify in the coming decades. Technologies
to reduce vehicle weight (lighter materials) will also become more important in road transport.
The use of alternative drive technologies will gain in significance not only on the road, however,
but also on the rails (locomotives) and in ocean and inland waterway shipping (see
Chapter 5.2.6).
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development sees a particular challenge in
this connection in air transport. It goes so far as to predict that, with regard to sustainability in
the transport sector, by 2030 a complete break with today’s drive technologies and the associated
fuels may be necessary.
As already suggested several times, new technologies for collecting and transmitting transport
data will be key. These Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies – also subsumed
under the term telematics – comprise a broad spectrum of information, control and electronic
technologies for monitoring and management in the traffic and transport sector. Microelectronics,
satellite navigation, mobile communication, and sensor technology are already helping
to monitor and control the flow of traffic. The further development of electronic toll
collection and dynamic road pricing systems are also part of this subject area. On the rails, the
use of new electronic control systems can enable less distance between the individual trains
and thus a higher average speed.
76 See Acatech (2006).
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