Motivation

Freight transport faces major challenges driven by growing transport demand, infrastructure bottlenecks, climate targets, and increasing requirements for resilience and efficiency in logistics systems. In particular, intermodal freight transport is considered a key approach for making transport chains more sustainable, yet it is characterized by complex interactions between infrastructure, demand, policy frameworks, and operational processes. Such dynamic and feedback-driven relationships can be particularly well analyzed using methods from System Dynamics.

While System Dynamics modeling has already been applied in various areas of transport and logistics, there is still a lack of a structured overview of existing applications specifically in freight transport, as well as an assessment of the potential and limitations of the method for intermodal transport questions. This thesis addresses this gap by combining a systematic review of the current state of research with the development of a conceptual model for an exemplary application case.

Objective

The objective of this master’s thesis is to provide a structured overview of the literature and application fields of System Dynamics modeling in freight transport and logistics, to systematically classify existing approaches, and to identify research gaps as well as application potentials. Based on a comprehensive literature review, relevant application areas, modeling approaches, and typical research questions will be categorized and analyzed.

Building on this, a conceptual impact model for intermodal freight transport as an application example shall be developed (e.g., in the form of a Causal Loop Diagram or a conceptual Stock-and-Flow model) to represent key system dynamics, feedback loops, and influencing factors. Overall, the thesis aims, on the one hand, to provide an overview of the current state of research and relevant application fields and, on the other hand, to explore the suitability of System Dynamics modeling for analyzing intermodal transport systems. In doing so, the thesis is intended to provide a foundation for further model-based investigations.

Literature

• Nassar, Raphael Ferrari; Ghisolfi, Verônica; Annema, Jan Anne; van Binsbergen, Arjan; Tavasszy, Lóránt Antal (2023): A system dynamics model for analyzing modal shift policies towards decarbonization in freight transportation. In: Research in Transportation Business & Management 48, S. 100966. DOI: 10.1016/j.rtbm.2023.100966.
• Shepherd, S. P. (2014): A review of system dynamics models applied in transportation. In: Transportmetrica B: Transport Dynamics 2 (2), S. 83–105. DOI: 10.1080/21680566.2014.916236.
• Sterman, John (2000): Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

General information

If you are interested in the thesis, please send a current transcript of records and CV to Max Preisinger. In a personal interview, the modalities and focus of the thesis can be discussed according to your personal preferences. Work can begin as soon as possible after consultation.

Core data