Semantics-based, strategic planning and composition of intermodal freight transport services in sea port hinterlands

The modular logistic transport of goods on streets, railroads, inland water and sea is a complex and versatile process. It requires exact knowledge of geographic information, available logistical service providers and communication channels. This application paper describes IMOTRIS, an automated Intermodal Transport Routing Information System which is developed as a state-aided collaborative project that benefits from practical experience by contributions from different ports and transport service providers. We present a novel approach which combines service-oriented multi-modal route planning with semantic web technologies for the selection and ranking of transport and turnover services to create suitable and optimized complex logistic service chains. We utilize committed semantic descriptions of logistic services and their relationships with regard to the application context.