The EU's TEN-T Program will back with over $976,000 a study and pilot deployment of automated road and rail gates in the Port of Ravenna in Italy.
The new ICT-based solutions will speed up the commercial, operational and customs controls of trucks and trains entering and exiting the port.
The project will carry out a market-oriented study and a pilot test on three gates connecting the port to the main rail and road networks. Specific ICT solutions and automation of the port gates will allow the identification of transiting vehicles, containers and RFID seals for a faster control procedure.
The study will in particular look into the interoperability between the port's electronic platform and the ICT systems of the inland road and rail networks. It will come up with guidelines and technical/functional requirements for future development.
The study results are expected to streamline the 'gate in / gate out' port operations and provide high value-added services to the logistics chain.
The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts under the TEN-T Annual Call 2013, priority 'Maritime transport'. Its implementation will be monitored by INEA, the European Commission's Innovation and Networks Executive Agency.
The project is to be completed by 31 December 2015.