HIT | Sector B

Department B: Infrastructure, Networks, Mobility and Logistics
Head of Department: Dr. Georgia Aifadopoulou
Deputy: Dr. Evangelos Mitsakis

Research & Scientific Staff: G. Ayfantopoulou, E. Mitsakis, M. Morfoulaki, J.M. Salanova Grau, A. Kortsari, I. Anapali, L. Bakouros, M. Chatsiathanasiou, K.P. Chranta, S. Dais, M. Giannaki, V. Giannoudis, V.Karagkounis, M. Konstantinidou, M.N. Konstandtinidou, K.M. Kotoula, A. Kotsi, Z. Maleas, I. Mallidis, M. Margari, M. Matsouliadou, N. Militsis, Ch. Milonas, E. Mintsis, L. Mitropoulos, V. Mizaras, G. Myrovali, A. Nikiforiadis, K. Porfyri, G. Prasinos, V. Psonis, A. Siomos, A. Stamelou, E. Stathi, M. Stavara, K. Stavrou, M. Strotou, A. Tolikas, O. Tsolakis, D. Tsavdari, D. Touloumidis, D. Tzanis, P. Tzenos.

The activities of Sector B include all aspects of sustainable mobility research, with emphasis on land transport networks and their traffic. In particular, it is involved with issues regarding the planning, design, management, and operation of land transport systems from the point of their infrastructures, networks, traffic and transport operation.

Indicatively, it is concerned with the issues of:

Application of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in the areas of responsibility of the Sector.
Infrastructure and service to support C-ITS and automated transport systems.
Sustainable mobility and sustainable mobility plans (Sustainable Mobility management and planning).
Development and promotion of the transportation planning process at national and regional level.
Demand forecasting and demand management for land and multimodal transport.
Capacity and availability assessment of transport infrastructures to satisfy this demand - Design of transport network infrastructures.
Algorithms development for the simulation or mathematical representation of transport operations.
Collection, maintenance, and management of traffic and other data in land and multimodal transport.
Development and maintenance of HIT PORTAL.
Intelligent, intermodal freight transport and logistics.
Organizational and operational issues of land transportation systems.
Transport Policy formulation in land transport systems
Evaluation of the operation of the land transport system via appropriate indicators (KPIs).
Design and realization of Pilot, on new technologies and mobility services.
Resilience of Transport Infrastructure and Networks.

Laboratory Β1: Sustainable Mobility
Head: M. Morfoulaki

The Laboratory is involved in research, concerning demand management, development of sustainable mobility systems and of urban mobility plans..

It deals with the planning, operation, and management of public transport systems with emphasis on optimization of their performance and their integration with other modes of transport.
In addition, methods and the indicators for evaluating the quality of transport services in urban and suburban areas for passengers and freight transport (by use of KPIs).
Within the urban mobility plans and urban mobility issues, this Laboratory covers both passenger and freight transport issues.

Finally, the laboratory B1 deals with the study and formulation of policies and instruments for developing "sustainable mobility" in urban and suburban areas and the ways of "managing" this mobility by studying, developing & implementing innovative governance schemes, business models and technologies.

Thus, the main expertise areas of B1 lab3 are:

Development of policies, technologies and models for the advancement of sustainable mobility in urban and interurban environments.
Supporting the shift to multimodality and the reduction of car use.
Optimization of the operation of public transport in urban and interurban environments through specialized performance indicators of service quality.
Optimization of school transportation systems and development of operational standards for them.
Road safety solutions and analyses, from the infrastructure point of view.
Development of technologies and applications for mobility services.

Laboratory B2: Data analysis and Modeling
Head: J. M. Salanova Grau

Τhe Laboratory develops technologies and techniques for collecting, managing and certifying data from multiple sources. It also develops algorithms for specific transportation problems such as managing fleets and providing routing services.

The Laboratory performs research on simulation and optimization using specialized software packages focusing on the application of intelligent transport systems for the management of transport demand and transport infrastructure. The analysis of the transport networks and the development of computing application platforms for designing and managing transport networks are also part of this Laboratory. These are integrated into the HIT PORTAL a state-of-the-art platform for data and software related to the Transport sector in Greece developed by the Hellenic Institute of Transport. The collection, classification and analysis of transport data are produced either by the Institute’s research infrastructure or provided by external bodies active in the field of Transport in Greece, including crowd sourcing. In this context, the Laboratory B2 has the responsibility for operating, maintaining & further developing the HIT PORTAL as a digital content aggregator, big data management service and open data provider.

The Laboratory has the scientific responsibility for the development and maintenance of the HIT PORTAL. In this respect, the Lab has the responsibility of:

Securing the operation, maintenance & further development of the HIT PORTAL operation as content aggregator in the transport sector.
Development of transport data models, data and services interfaces to external databases and systems in accordance with international standards and cutting-edge technologies, including AI.
Application of data analytics and visualization techniques for business intelligence.
Specialized applications in the field of transport, development of digital geographic backgrounds of the country's transport network in urban and suburban environments.
Use of innovative transportation models and algorithms (e.g. simulation models of large-scale transportation networks, dynamic traffic assignment algorithms).
Collection, storage, maintenance and processing of raw data. Calculation of dynamic indicators for traffic and transportation in Greece. Data and indicators consolidation into an integrated basis.
Creation of an electronic library with all the publishable material from HIT’s research projects.
Development and operation of open platform with linked data from transport services in Greece.
Use of transportation tools for editing and enriching data for the benefit of research projects.
Installation and/ or development of innovative systems based on advanced technologies (to create "innovation incubator").
Implementation of a test bed platform for new technologies, innovative transportation models and algorithms and prototype for applications arising from research.
Creation of a web portal for information and diffusion of research results, as well as an interface with the Transport sector research laboratories worldwide.
Gradual implementation of a Greek Transport Observatory based on specific qualitative or efficiency indicators.

Finally, the Laboratory has the responsibility of proposing to the management of sector B and of the Institute, the possible commercial exploitation of the HIT PORTAL as related to the provision of third party services and to third parties as well as its future expansion into a cloud-based service.

Laboratory B3: Infrastructure and traffic management in land transport
Head: E. Mitsakis

The Laboratory focuses on modeling and optimization of transportation systems networks and traffic flow. It develops interfaces for the integration of Intelligent Transport Systems and related processes in the field of traffic management of surface transport systems (including integration of related managing entities and stakeholders). More specifically, in the field of traffic management of surface transport systems, the Laboratory B3 is involved with:

Application of information and communication technologies (ICT) and of Intelligent Transport Systems – ITS in infrastructure and traffic management;
Cooperative Systems in the fields of relevance to the Labs work;
Security services for autonomous vehicle networks, including secure data transmission;
Policies and Strategies for Intelligent Transportation sysytems.
Transport systems modeling and demand forecasting models;
Process modeling; Analysis, certification and processing of traffic and travel data;
Traffic management and traffic control methods and technologies;
Traffic Management systems for conventional, connected and autonomous vehicle flows;
Integrated environments and simulation algorithms for circulation and communication of conventional, connected, autonomous and mixed vehicle flows;
Design, management and maintenance of multimodal transport infrastructures and networks for averting the impacts of climate change (adaptation and prevention), related to severe weather events and physical catastrophes;
Policies and Strategies for Transport systems adaptation to climate change.

Laboratory Β4: Freight transport and logistics
Head: G. Aifadopoulou

The laboratory B4 deals with the organisation, operation, management and optimization of freight transport systems, logistics, and the management of supply chains in urban, national, regional and international levels. The emphasis is in the intermodal chain utilization at national and international levels. In addition, the Laboratory B4 is dealing with urban freight transport (UFT) and urban logistics solutions.

Indicatively the areas of activity of Laboratory B4 include:

Supply chain (SC) benchmarking;
Upgrading of the existing Supply Chains through the improvement of their individual logistics operations;
Study of specific industries and supply chains (e.g. agro-food products)
Cooperative resource use assessment;
Freight transport activities environmental impact (footprint) reduction;
Other sectors’ impact assessment on Supply Chains;
Development and implementation of ICT technologies for supply chain monitoring, visibility and security in strategic, business and operational levels and impact assessment of their implementation;
Freight optimization solutions implementation;
Security of the intermodal supply chain;
Planning, organization and management of freight terminals, with intermodal freight transport Centers in global logistics chains;
Investigation of the particular problems of SMEs participation in the field of freight transport;
Optimization of urban freight distribution, using algorithms and technologies (e.g. for routing & scheduling, models application adapted to the specific requirements of supply chains, etc.);
Inventory level optimization using demand forecasting models and inventory management;
Innovative measures, means, technologies and policies for sustainable urban logistics, including the development of Sustainable Urban Logistic Plans, collaborative urban logistic business models and systems for monitoring of urban logistics operations;
Optimization, application of innovative technologies and sustainability enhancement in specialized logistic chains;
Any other relevant action to promote freight transport and logistics research including the creation of “research clusters” and implementation of innovative business models in freight transport & logistics.

Laboratory B5: Rail Transport System and Services
Head: A. Kortsari

Laboratory B5 deals with the organization and further development of railway transport in order to ensure radically improved railway systems that can act as a valuable and environmental friendly alternative to other transport modes, as well as part of an integrated, multi-modal transport chain.

In this context, Lab B5 deals with the enhancement of cost and energy efficiency of railway transport, the removal of obstacles preventing the further development of railway transport and especially of those relevant to the achievement of interoperability, the management and maintenance of rolling stock, achievement of safety and security in railway transport, increase of existing networks’ capacity in order to meet current and future needs for freight and passenger railway transport, as well as the limitation and containment of negative impacts of trains, such as noise, vibration and other types of disturbance.

Further to the above Lab B5 will examine more specific issues, such as:

Automation and digitization of the railways;
AI systems and their application in railway transport;
Development of cost efficient and reliable railway systems;
Development of advanced traffic control and monitoring systems;
Smart systems for the creation of attractive railway transport systems.

Finally, the lab observes and monitors all the developments and new challenges occurring in the railway transport sector, related to long term needs of the systems and socio-economic research, smart material and operations, safety and achievement of interoperability, as well as management and preservation of human capital.