Untitled - Ministerstwo Rozwoju Regionalnego

siltation of port basins and canals (caused by sea currents). Innovations in the
area of materials used in this transport mode are much more difficult than in
land transport, as recycling opportunities are limited (materials used in hydroengineering
must not be toxic, must have a long life cycle and be friendly to the
marine environment).
The development of intermodal transport infrastructure to date has concentrated
on constructing big, efficient and fast-operating terminals at the meeting
point of two transport mode sub-systems. Currently existing solutions have little
to do with genuine intermodality, understood as the ability of a given means
of transport to run smoothly in various modes (road, rail, water). Certain innovations
are created to meet the requirements of this kind of intermodality, e.g.
the DMV (dual-mode vehicle) concept, i.e. road-rail vehicles that can run independently
on either track or road, without terminals.
Another step in outlining the innovation prospects of the sector was the
analysis of the palette of the world's emerging concepts and new logistic solutions,
presented by Aleksandra KoŸlak in Chapter V. Innovation in logistics
services may refer to the service as a product and to the process of providing it,
to enterprise organisation and management or to relations with the environment.
Changes in logistics are mainly related to macroeconomic changes, the
growing customer requirements, and implementation of state-of-the-art technologies.
Thanks to information technologies and new business models, a “new
economy” could be established and developed, which made it necessary to implement
new solutions in logistics as well.
The main motive for innovations in logistics is a necessity to make companies
more modern and competitive through greater effectiveness and customer
satisfaction. Logistics companies must focus on establishing cooperation and
creating networks in order to improve the effects of their services in the movement
of cargo and its control, information flow technologies and other advanced
processes. There are two kinds of logistics innovation processes: • innovative
concepts and solutions in organisation, • technological innovations.
Organisational innovations are modern forms of outsourcing in logistics
services and new business models, from simple supply chains to complex logistics
networks defined as 5PL. These organisations are almost entirely virtual because,
without possessing typical assets, they focus on acquiring the skills necessary
to manage and coordinate activities of other contractors through dedicated
information solutions; they also match demand with supply through electronic
markets of logistics services. The key to success in this area is information technologies
and integration of computer systems. The category of new business
models has been called 'Virtual Network Consortia' (VNC).
According to the scope of logistic activities, technological innovations can be
divided into four categories: • data identification and capture technologies, • information
technologies, • warehousing technologies, • transport technologies.
385