New project for analyses about maritime transport

The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) is undertaking a new project to develop socioeconomic analyses for maritime transport, a sector currently less well served than road and rail transport. One important objective is to ensure that this mode of transport can be reviewed and compared on a level playing field.

The project Socioeconomic Analyses for Maritime Transport (SEAS) will begin in the new year. It is being conducted by VTI in collaboration with the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Chalmers University of Technology and the World Maritime University in Malmö. The SEK 8.6 million budget for the three-year project is fully funded by the Swedish Transport Administration’s maritime R&I portfolio.

The purpose of the project is to create better methods and models to evaluate and analyse policy instruments and measures for maritime transport. Particular weight will be given to cause and effect and monetary values in the areas of maritime safety and the environment.

“It is no secret that the work of the Swedish Transport Administration is mainly focused on road and rail, so it is especially gratifying to have funding granted for SEAS,” says Inge Vierth, senior analyst at VTI. “It is important to have calculation and analysis methods for all modes of transport so that they are comparable. It is also vital to have a good basis for international negotiations that are so important to maritime transport in particular.”

The researchers will be using data from the automatic identification system (AIS), a GPS system that describes the type, position, speed, beam and draught of an individual vessel. This data will be used to describe vessel movements and their potential environmental and safety impact.

The method makes it possible to evaluate various scenarios in new ways, not least in terms of maritime safety, environmental impact and socioeconomic effects.

“All of the data will be compiled in a database that will be continuously updated This is a state-of-the-art system internationally and it has not previously been used in this way in Sweden,” explains Vierth.

The SEAS project was initiated by the directors-general of the VTI and the Swedish Maritime Administration within the scope of the collaboration agreement between the two agencies.

The directors-general had this to say today about the new project:

“For our part, it is a long-standing ambition to be able to quantify the benefits we create more precisely, not at? least when it comes to evaluating and comparing the projects that the Swedish Maritime Administration is implementing or planning to implement. We are highly appreciative that the project is now making progress and we look forward to seeing the results,” says acting Director General Joel Smith at the Swedish Maritime Administration.

“We are delighted that substantial research is finally underway to develop socioeconomic analyses for the maritime sector. This is a need that we have been discussing for some time now and have prioritised among the research areas that we have jointly developed,” says Tomas Svensson, Director General of the VTI.

Text: Mikael Sönne

Translation: CBG