[DMANET] CFP: Special issue on "Collaborative Logistics"

CFP: SPECIAL ISSUE ON "COLLABORATIVE LOGISTICS"
Call for Papers - Special issue in "Logistics"
Guest edited by dr. Christof Defryn, dr. Lotte Verdonck and Prof.dr. Kenneth Sörensen

From 15 April 2021 to 31 December 2021, all submissions (once accepted after peer review) to Logistics will be published free of charge. To take advantage of this opportunity, please submit before the deadline.
Deadline = 1 October 2021
More information and submissions: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/logistics/special_issues/collaborative_logistics

The growing call for more sustainability - socially, economically, and environmentally - unveils the limitations of our current logistical system. Despite huge efforts to improve the efficiency of individual company operations, a large gap remains between the performance of the current system and the ambitious goals set by policy makers and corroborated by our society for the near and distant future. The future vision on logistics is built upon the idea of collaboration, and relies on the integration of logistical operations beyond company boundaries. Through active synchronization of flows within a shared logistical network (often referred to as a 'physical internet'), companies co-create synergies that could not have been seized by operating individually.
Over the last decade, multiple small-size (up to 3-4 companies) case studies and (theoretical) research simulations have proven the potential of logistics collaboration in terms of cost, CO2 emissions, vehicle utilization, etc. At the same time, collaborative logistics can be associated with new and various challenges such as the need for appropriate cost, benefit or resource allocation models. Existing research, however, remains scarce and scattered. The planning of the logistical operations for a horizontal coalition is generally isolated from the allocation mechanisms and is mainly limited to a unimodal setting, i.e., using only a single mode of transport (typically trucks). Also, aspects related to differences in decision power, the need for more decentralization to guarantee scalability of the network, pricing, and the extension towards multi- or synchromodal environments are some of the aspects that are currently underrepresented (or not considered at all) in the literature.
This special issue aims to contribute to the discussion on how collaborative logistics can catalyze the transition towards a new, more sustainable organization of our logistical system. Authors are cordially invited to submit original research papers, review articles, empirical studies, and case studies for this special issue to Logistics until 1 October 2021. Topics covered are, but are not limited to:
. Multi-partner logistics
. Gain sharing / cost allocation methods
. Collaborative vehicle routing and other collaborative planning/optimization problems
. Multi-modal / synchromodal networks
. The physical internet
. Decentralized decision making in logistics
. Case studies on collaborative logistics

We look forward to your submissions!

Keywords: Collaborative logistics; joint route planning; cost allocation; cooperative games; synchromodality; physical internet


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