Prof. Ralf Elbert , Paul Bossong and Dr. Anne Reinhard address this question in their latest research paper, “Digital platforms in intermodal freight transport: an analysis of emerging business models and their future dynamics”, recently published in the International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management (IJPDLM)!

Together they explored how intermodal freight transport—which leverages eco-friendly rail transport alongside the flexibility of truck transport—is being transformed by digital platforms.

Key takeaways:

• They identified four unique archetypes of platform business models emerging in the intermodal freight transport market, offering clear insights into their structure and characteristics.
• Through interviews with platform providers, platform users, and intermodal market consultants, they analyzed how these business models are likely to evolve in the future.
• The findings provide a roadmap for understanding how digitization can further increase the attractiveness of environmentally friendly intermodal freight transport.

A big thank-you to the House of Logistics and Mobility for funding the “ConnectedKV” research project, which made this work possible! And to the project partners Catkin GmbH, Rail-Flow, Infront Consulting & Management GmbH and Kombiverkehr GmbH & Co. KG.

Interested in diving deeper?

Check out the full paper here.

Read about the related research project “ConnectedKV” here.