Abstract

The emergence of climate change is affecting society, economy, and businesses around the world. To tackle this issue, the European Commission has introduced a series of legislative measures aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. The whole transport sector will have to make a significant endeavor to achieve the goal. In recent years, waterborne public transport services have become an integral component of urban landscapes in numerous cities worldwide. Waterborne mobility can constitute a sustainable alternative in terms of energy consumption, noise, and pollution emissions. It reduces traffic congestion both on roads and on the railroad, supporting more livable cities. However, there are still challenges to overcome to fully realize the sustainable potential of waterborne passenger mobility (WPM). To address these challenges and promote innovative and sustainable strategies, a holistic approach is required that considers the complex interactions among actors in the WPM ecosystem, including passengers, operators, regulators, and services providers. To achieve a sustainable and circular WPM ecosystem, digitalization can play a critical role. Several studies have shown that digital technologies can promote Circular Economy and circular strategies. Through a literature review, this paper explores the concept of ecosystem and Smart Circular Economy within the waterborne passenger mobility system, aiming to outline the WPM ecosystem and its relationship with smart circular strategies. Finally, the Smart Circular WPM Ecosystem was defined, and a framework was established to provide a foundation for advancing research on designing the waterborne passenger mobility sector towards a technological and circular transition.

Keywords

waterborne passenger mobility, ecosystem, digital technology, Circular Economy

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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Oct 9th, 9:00 AM

Exploring a framework in designing smart circular ecosystems in the waterborne passenger mobility

The emergence of climate change is affecting society, economy, and businesses around the world. To tackle this issue, the European Commission has introduced a series of legislative measures aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. The whole transport sector will have to make a significant endeavor to achieve the goal. In recent years, waterborne public transport services have become an integral component of urban landscapes in numerous cities worldwide. Waterborne mobility can constitute a sustainable alternative in terms of energy consumption, noise, and pollution emissions. It reduces traffic congestion both on roads and on the railroad, supporting more livable cities. However, there are still challenges to overcome to fully realize the sustainable potential of waterborne passenger mobility (WPM). To address these challenges and promote innovative and sustainable strategies, a holistic approach is required that considers the complex interactions among actors in the WPM ecosystem, including passengers, operators, regulators, and services providers. To achieve a sustainable and circular WPM ecosystem, digitalization can play a critical role. Several studies have shown that digital technologies can promote Circular Economy and circular strategies. Through a literature review, this paper explores the concept of ecosystem and Smart Circular Economy within the waterborne passenger mobility system, aiming to outline the WPM ecosystem and its relationship with smart circular strategies. Finally, the Smart Circular WPM Ecosystem was defined, and a framework was established to provide a foundation for advancing research on designing the waterborne passenger mobility sector towards a technological and circular transition.

 

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