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The purpose of this paper is the optimization of an online shared freight transportation service platform with the use of Conjoint Analysis for the region of Balkan – Mediterranean. A Choice-Based Conjoint analysis was performed amongst the partners of the INTERREG Balkan-Med SCOPE project in order to optimize such a platform which is under development in the frame of the project. The results show that the best possible configuration of the platform should be offered at least in the local language, on a website, in the form of an auction platform, the charging should be done per shipment, and its range should be European / international. Moreover, selecting the right levels for each attribute is of crucial importance for the success of a freight transportation service platform, as the best configuration has a market share that is above 100% of the second-best configuration, according to the market simulation that was performed. Therefore, tools as Conjoint Analysis should be incorporated in the planning and design of such products in order to have the best marketable results for shippers, carriers, and consumers; a product that is customized according to their needs and preferences.

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The COVID-19 pandemic comprises a “milestone” for multiple aspects of social, economic, and technological life. Trips and movements were placed at the center of attention to control the virus’ transmission since the diffusion may occur both during the trip, while people are on-board, and after they arrive at the final destination, in the context of their activities. Public Transport Authorities (PTA), providers of mobility services, and commuters have faced various challenges that require from them a change or adaptation of their practices and behavior. In the framework of the European project “PE4Trans”, which concerns citizens’ engagement in the planning of sustainable mobility policies, a multidisciplinary three-session virtual event took place. Its aim was to address all challenges posed by the pandemic related to mobility and transport by involving researchers, executive officers, decision-makers, and policymakers in an organized dialogue. This paper systematizes and synthesizes the findings of this discussion, covering aspects related to the nature of the pandemic, the measures of personal protection along the whole mobility chain, the structural business changes for the case of mobility providers, the exploitation of technology, the people with disability, and the role of the local authorities. The pandemic reveals itself as a two-sided coin: its first side is related to the public health crisis that needs proper handling within the transport system, while its second side is related to the chance of accelerating the transition towards sustainable mobility and the opportunity of promoting reforms within the transport business sector.

The purpose of this paper is to hierarchize the importance of the attributes of an online shared freight transportation service platform with the use of Multi-Actor Multi-Criteria Analysis (MAMCA). A MAMCA was performed amongst the partners of the INTERREG Balkan-Med SCOPE project in order to hierarchize the attributes of such a platform which is under development in the frame of the project. The results show that all the actors agree that the most important criterion is the Service, i.e., the services that the platform will provide. The research institute and the chambers actors agree that the second most important criterion is Access, i.e., the interface of the platform, while the university actor thinks that Range is the second most important criterion, i.e., the service area of the platform. Probably, the actors who are closer to the market understand better the needs, requirements, and preferences of the users than academia, and that once you set up the platform for a specific Range, it can be easily expanded to cover more areas in the future. Nevertheless, it has to be underlined that these results have been derived by a very small sample, i.e., the partners of the SCOPE project and probably a broader MAMCA, including more stakeholders, should be performed in order to validate them.