Skip to main content

Freight Logistics and Sustainable Supply Chains (SCM)

Future Mobility staff have over 20 years of research experience in freight logistics. They worked with UK cities such as Norwich, Preston, and Barnsley in dissemination and research. They also work on a wide range of EU projects.

Project leader

Prof Thomas Zunder

Description

Professor Thomas Zunder sits on the Tyne and Wear Freight Quality Partnership committees.  He worked with Newcastle City Council on various urban freight and consolidation issues.

Prof Zunder is a project evaluator and reviewer for the European Commission. He specialises in the field of the public procurement of innovation [PPI].

He is a member of the Connecting Places Catapult Business Fellows Network. The Network is co-funded by the Catapult and Newcastle University.

The group has an extensive portfolio of experience, including the following projects:

  • FREIGHTWISE
  • e-Freight
  • SuperGreen
  • KOMODA
  • RETRACK
  • BESTFACT
  • SUSTRAIL
  • SPECTRUM
  • SMARTFUSION

UNEW is the only University partner in the European Rail Research Advisory Council. It is a key partner in Rail Research UK.

SETRIS was co-ordinated by the group. It planned and delivered the road maps for *all* EU European Technology Platforms for transport.

We have wide international network of contacts in academia, business, and government. The European Commission assists us in identifying funding sources. We apply to all relevant funding calls.

We present our research and outcomes to international scientific, policy, business conferences and workshops.

We have a strong portfolio of publications. They include procedia, trade press, book chapters and journal articles. We have researched and delivered international curriculum development for rail operations and logistics.

We developed a fuel management module. The module is in higher education, as part of the UK Freight Best Practice programme.

We hold a pragmatist position on research philosophy. The following approaches deployed of most interest currently are:

  • Delphi surveys
  • CBA
  • Gap analyses
  • Environmental impact assessment
  • Market research
  • Mixed methods research
  • Action research
  • Systems thinking

Areas of knowledge and practical expertise that we currently focus on:

  • Rail freight
  • City logistics
  • ICT
  • Transport logistics
  • Sustainable procurement

Research projects:

  • FLEX-RAIL: Paradigm Shifts for Rail
  • TER4RAIL: Transversal Research for Rail
  • CAPITAL: Collaborative cApacity Programme on Intelligent Transport Systems Training educAtion and Liaison
  • NOVELOG: New cooperative business models and guidance for sustainable city logistics
  • Capacity4Rail - Increasing Capacity 4 Rail networks through enhanced infrastructure and optimised operations
  • SMARTSET: Sustainable MARketdriven Terminal Solutions for Efficient freight Transport
  • SmartFusion: Smart Urban Freight Solutions
  • BESTFACT: Best Practice Factory for Logistics
  • SPECTRUM: Solutions and Processes to Enhance the Competitiveness of Transport by Rail in Unexploited Markets
  • TUNRAIL: Research into the development of rail based curricula in higher education
  • e-Freight: European e-freight capabilities for co-modal transport
  • SuperGreen: Supporting EU’s Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan on Green Corridors Issues
  • BE LOGIC: Benchmarking Logistics Chains
  • KOMODA: Co-modality - towards optimised integrated chains in freight transport logistics
  • RETRACK: Reorganisation of transport networks by advanced rail freight concepts
  • FREIGHTWISE: management framework for intelligent intermodal transport
  • Bestufs II - Best Urban Freight Solutions Two
Undergraduate
Postgraduate Research
Postgraduate Taught