Government pledges £2m for research into green logistics
Page 7

If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE GOVERNMENT-funded Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has awarded £2m to six 1.; K universities to launch a four-year study into green logistics.
The programme will study how the environmental effects of logistics can be mitigated throughout the UK, focusing on issues such as remodelling the supply chains, reverse logistics, urban freight and delivery patterns, and intermodal transport.
Alan McKinnon, professor of logistics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, says:"We think this is a very positive move. There's a lot we can do with this amount of money which can improve the handling of logistics.
"We will be looking at the entire supply chain, but obviously road freight dominates the sector."
As well as Heriot-Watt, the work will he carried out by the universities of Leeds, Westminster, Cardiff, Southampton and Lancaster.
McKinnon is also due to publish a paper on what he calls the "road haulage gap".
Traditionally the demand for freight has been underpinned by economic growth. But this direct correlation is no more, McKinnon argues, partly because the UK economy has moved away from its historical manufacturing base and movws towards the service sector.
The traditional correlation has also been affected by shifts to other modes, and the relocation of industrial sites abroad. For more information on the road haulage gap, see the next issue of Commercial Motor.