ENTREPRENDRE – November 14th 2023
It is to promote modal shift that the association AI Cargo Foundation, founded following the work of HUB France IA and offering technological solutions to decarbonize the sector, launched the Appel d’aiR program.
A project built around user needs
Too often, seemingly relevant and useful projects never move beyond the planning stage because they are not adapted to the real needs of potential users. Appel d’aiR, with a more efficient approach, chose to listen to users to identify their needs regarding modal shift and to provide shared solutions.
It first became clear that, in order to be used by shippers/forwarders and offered by operators, rail and river transport must provide certain guarantees. While shippers and forwarders need suitable frequencies and regularity, operators require shipment volumes that no single shipper or forwarder can achieve alone. “The challenge is therefore to convince shippers and forwarders to pool their transport, combining their shipments on a single means of transport. But this is counter-intuitive for many of them due to competition or commercial confidentiality,” explains Bernard Guilbot, director of the Appel d’aiR program.
Providing concrete and tailored solutions
This shared use of transport resources is nonetheless a necessary condition for the development of modal shift. Appel d’aiR has therefore developed a sovereign application, Cumulus, which allows each shipper/forwarder to input their origin and destination free of charge and, above all, in a completely anonymous and secure manner. “Our position as a neutral trusted third party—being an association funded by Energy Savings Certificates—helps convince shippers and forwarders, while also addressing another issue: optimizing flows and return trips,” adds Bernard Guilbot. Indeed, many trains and barges operate partially empty on the outbound leg and often completely empty on the return, which is both ecologically and economically irrational. By providing predictability in terms of frequency, recurrence, and volume, operators can then deploy the necessary resources and invest accordingly.
Appel d’aiR aims to achieve a modal shift equivalent to two billion tonne-kilometers by 2025.
Given the growing volume of requests, the use of AI is essential to generate predictive scenarios and make the solution effective. In addition, AI allows for classification of different types of goods, since not all can be transported together. “Encouraging modal shift already helps reduce CO₂ emissions. But our approach goes even further: by giving operators certainty about business volume, we also encourage them to make the necessary investments to decarbonize their vehicles, particularly by transitioning to electric or hydrogen,” concludes Bernard Guilbot. concludes Bernard Guilbot.
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Article d’ENTREPRENDRE : https://www.entreprendre.fr/face-aux-enjeux-environnementaux-comment-favoriser-le-report-modal/
