HIGH-TOOL – a strategic assessment tool for evaluating EU transport policies

Abstract

In this paper the strategic transport policy assessment instrument HIGH-TOOL is presented. The model has been developed for the European Commission, allowing policy-makers to identify the most advantageous transport policies and to strategically evaluate the impacts of transport policies on transport, environment and economy. The main innovation of this policy assessment tool lies in the integration of originally independently functioning modelsi.e. passenger and freight demand, demography, and vehicle stock models, as well as economic, environmental and safety assessment models. With its traffic zones at the regional level of NUTS-2 and its aggregated view on the transport system, the instrument has a relatively lean structure avoiding runtime problems, without losing the spatial dimension. What distinguishes HIGH-TOOL from all other European transport policy assessment instruments: the model is an open source tool, it is freely available and does not require any commercial software to be run. In combination with its modular structure the HIGH-TOOL model can relatively easily be adjusted to other modelling methodologies or data. It can also comparatively easily be made responsive to "new" policies which are not in the scope of the current model version. Thus the HIGH-TOOL model lays the foundation for further innovations in the assessment of transport policies and mobility concepts.

Shipping digitalization management: conceptualization, typology and antecedents

“…Extant research offers an important knowledge base, in view of various types of information technology applications used in shipping, trade and transport. A broad range of decision support systems for shipping operational optimization (El Noshokaty, 2017), information systems for port logistics support (Mlimbila and Mbamba, 2018), and tools for policy-makers (Szimba et al, 2018) constitute the legacy of contemporary shipping digitalization. Our study addresses the following primary research questions: which are the effectual technologies of contemporary shipping digitalization and how these technologies resonate in shipping management; which management logics necessitate the adoption of digital technologies in shipping and which digitalization management practices enable them.…”

An integrated and comprehensive tool to assess urban mobility strategies

“…Due to sustainable mobility is a multidimensional issue, there are diverse approaches and tools to assess mobility strategies. There are decision support tools focused on the policy selection considering economic and social aspects (Damidavičius et al, 2020;Szimba et al, 2018), and those based on simulators (Horni et al, 2016;Waddell, P., 2011). However, there are few tools that includes environmental and health impacts to evaluate mobility strategies in urban areas.…”