The physical internet or the rebuilt of the logistic ecosystem

17 November 2011

 

While publishing an interview of Eric Ballot, professor of the CGS (Center of Scientific Management) on its Web site, MINES ParisTech brings up again the notion of physical internet.

If logistics became major in our modern economy, its environmental impact becomes unbearable. Transportation of goods is now one of the main emitter of CO2 in France (14 %), while both logistic and transport services remain still insufficiently efficient. Facing this situation, and convinced that the current model is out of date, the CGS researchers of MINES ParisTech suggest to rebuilt the system to gradually abandon a split up logistics of goods and owner, for a system opened to logistic services universally interconnected.

This "Physical” internet would combine reduction of the impacts and preservation of a high level of service.

Such a system involves the generalization of modular containers, intelligent and routed within interconnected networks, or as well a system of routing hubs where these same containers are selected, composed or decomposed to be forwarded to their destination. 

The physical internet is already the object of evaluations and experiments. In France, OpenFret investigates the consequences of this change of organization at three levels : structuring of the logistic services, of the networks and that of a "router". 

Encouraged by the first innovative and significant results, a simulation of deployment on market products and a reduced scale experiment OTC_KAYPAL ( r ) MR are in process. 

Projects are also led in America and in Europe through the Initiative of the Physical Internet in order to develop opened standards, without forgetting the link with Asia. 

 

For more information : 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm8dge_eric-ballot-professor-and-researcher-at-mines-paristech-cgs-presents-the-physical-internet-initiativ_techundefined

Web : http://physicalinternetinitiative.org/ — Tweeter : @PhysicInternet

 

About MINES ParisTech

As the leading academic institution in France by virtue of its volume of contractual research, MINES ParisTech contributed to the competitiveness of companies. Via its 5 research departments, the School meets challenges in three main socio-economic sectors: future energy sources and the environment, the harnessing and exploitation of resources and new materials, and innovation methodologies and processes. In anticipation of the needs of industrial players, it has pioneered the creation of company chairs on emerging themes. MINES ParisTech is a founding member of ParisTech, which has brought together 12 of the leading executive engineering and management schools in Paris. Since its creation in 1783, MINES ParisTech has trained high-level engineers capable of solving complex problems in a wide variety of fields.

 

Press relations :

Carole Grosz
Head of communication
+33 (0)1 40 51 93 56
carole.grosz@mines-paristech.fr

 

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