The Institute for Transport and Logistics in Bologna, together with 9 European partners, has launched the CASTLE project. It will last 36 months and will end in October 2011. Partners from Italy, Poland, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Austria are involved. Poland is represented in this project by the Institute of Logistics and Warehousing (ILiM) and the Marshal’s Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.
CASTLE is a response to regional needs for improving transport policy and the logistics activity of SME sector companies. The project aims to identify best practices and exchange experiences. It involves conducting research and analyses, as well as creating a new tool for regional policy (which will be used by regional-level public administration) to formulate transport policy and evaluate the effects of its implementation. Initiatives for Regional Logistics Forums and Logistics Competence Centers will also be developed.
CASTLE is based on the experiences of project partners, including the CORELOG project. They show significant benefits of popularizing logistics innovations in SME sector companies.
The CASTLE project focuses on the following 4 topics:
- Strengthening regional logistics markets
- Improving the logistics purchasing side in production systems
- Strengthening the logistics training system for SMEs
- Institutional consolidation of the logistics area by initiating public-private cooperation (Regional Logistics Forums, Logistics Competence Centers)
The project’s task is to improve the region’s transport policy with particular emphasis on actions for the SME sector, improve the efficiency of logistics operations of companies in this sector, and develop Logistics Competence Centers and Regional Logistics Forums. As a result, best practices for increasing the efficiency of SME logistics operations will be identified, best practices will be exchanged, and training for public authorities will be held. More about CASTLE can be found on the project website http://www.castle-project.eu