The FEDeRATED project is an EU Member States driven initiative to contribute to the establishment of a viable federated network of platforms for data sharing in the freight transport and logistics domain at EU level (and beyond). The main objective is to enable a smooth and effective public involvement with logistic chains for the execution of public duties. The FEDeRATED project shall run from 01/01/2019 (“the starting date”) until 29/12/2023 (“the completion date”).

The FEDeRATED projects builds upon the work and recommendation of the Digital Transport and Logistic Forum (DTLF), and in particular its subgroup 2, to create such viable and valid federative network of platforms as an enabler for Business to Administration (B2A), Administration to Business (A2B), and Business to Business (B2B) data exchange and sharing.

Among the various stakeholders of a logistic chain (shipper, forwarders, transport operators, stevedore, etc.) data sharing is already existing, for instance Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) replaced paper-based business documents with electronic messages. Enterprises are also already sharing booking and order data with their business partners to optimise their supervision of cargo flows. This data sharing is, to some extent, already supported by existing standards, platforms and IT solutions. But all these systems and initiatives have been designed and developed independently and in an uncoordinated manner. There are still too many bilateral agreements, proprietary solutions, and different platforms preventing a data sharing solution similar to the Internet functionality: one registration and connection to only one platform.

Interconnecting the stakeholders within one common data sharing environment to exchange information would improve the performance of the supply chain processes. In its agreed report, within its first mandate, DTLF concluded that an interoperable data sharing system based on existing (or innovative new) interoperable platforms and solutions will enhance the supply chain visibility and the bundling capacity, and will enable synchronised operation planning for a responsive, resilient and multimodal transport ecosystem. At the same time, the administrative burden will be reduced, and authorities will better monitor dangerous and illegal transport. Finally, such system will improve traffic flows of all transport modes, thus contributing to more sustainability, safety and security.

In practical terms, the FEDeRATED project will design and validate a federated network of platforms concept to enable data sharing in the logistics chain while providing interoperability and harmonisation between individual platforms. This concept will allow for:

• smooth interaction between and among the different logistic chain operators and public administrations involved;
• enterprises to optimise the use of supply chains;
• dynamic planning to enable various ways of collaboration and optimize capacity utilization;
• recognizing existing (partial) systems;
• streamlining multimodal transport;
• decreasing or removing costs derived from lack of interoperability.

This federated network of platforms will be designed based upon:

• open and de facto standards based on a common semantic model;
• the definition of organisational, functional and technical specifications for a federated network of platforms for the entire Core Network in real life operational conditions;
• the development and validation of the federative network of platforms along various EU transport Core Network Corridors in the form of Pilots and Living Labs;
• the collaboration with relevant stakeholders including standardization bodies, software developers and platform providers.

The FEDeRATED project is dividend not 5Actvitis that will deliver 15 interrelated Milestone reports. Ultimately, the FEDeRATED project will deliver a validated Master Plan for an EU federated network of platforms concept and a prototype of a data sharing environment for business and public sector use.