Innovation drivers and barriers in intermodal freight transport

Other conference contribution, 2010

Intermodal freight transport (IFT) represents a complicated if not complex transport system encompassing a wide variety of relationships between actors, activities, and technical resources. This implies certain inertia to change. The work of IFT system designers and inventors of technical resources is like running in a labyrinth facing a wide range of restricting factors. Inventors have designed numerous technological components and sub-systems for intermodal liner trains but they share the feature of not being used commercially in a large scale. In order to understand the nature of technical and organisational innovation in IFT systems, thorough knowledge about these limiting factors is essential and this article aims at filling part of this knowledge gap. The purpose of the article is to analyse processes that foster or impede the implementation of technological and organisational innovations in IFT in general, and IFT liner trains in particular.