PROPS · Promotional Platform for Short Sea Shipping and Intermodality

The PROPS project builds on previous EU and national activities undertaken to promote and develop short sea shipping. In particular, PROPS aims to work closely with the Short Sea Promotion Centres (SPCs) to develop a workable and replicable methodology that will enhance their practical promotion activities – in the fields of legislative, technical, and operational actions – and to extend their operations to encompass inter-modal and co-modal transport. The first step will be to identify, from the SPCs, the best practices aimed at improving the integration of short sea shipping with relevant inland logistics chains. Particular attention will be paid to the linkages of key supply chain stakeholders and the removal of bottlenecks. This initial activity will be followed by a comprehensive analysis of the core processes that are, or need to be, carried out by SPCs, both individually and via the SPC European Network, to develop and utilise a business networking approach to enhance the current. practical work of the SPCs. One outcome of this activity will be a set of performance indicators and benchmarks, linked to self-assessment tools and training programmes for the SPCs. Tools will be developed to assist the SPCs improve their performance and their overall integration into European logistics business networks. For instance, an ‘e-booking system integrator’, to improve access to commercial freight booking systems, will be established. Both strategic and tactical support mechanisms will be developed, and learning from past failures will be formalised as a mechanism for improving the work of the SPCs to promote short sea shipping and intermodal transport. A media campaign, run by a large, professional media company will establish and test the campaign in enhancing role of the SPCs and the perception by business of the need to increase the amount of freight transport by short sea shipping as an integral part of logistics supply chains.