Report identifies innovations that will change transportation

It's hard enough to keep up with the technological advances that are transforming almost every aspect of transportation—never mind predict where new innovations might lead. But Connected World: Transforming Travel, Transportation, and Supply Chains, a new report issued by the World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group, takes a stab at identifying the innovations that could have the greatest impact on transportation by 2025. Here are three examples that would affect freight transportation:

• A traffic management system for megacities would integrate and process up-to-the-minute information from vehicles, travel infrastructure, individuals, and the environment to manage traffic in urban areas. Before congestion on a major highway reaches a crisis point, the system would automatically reroute drivers or adjust tolls to encourage alternate routes.
• A "smart" visa system for automated check-in, security, and border control would eliminate the long lines at airport screening points and land border crossings, simultaneously enhancing security. Visa applications would be standardized across multiple countries with data available to officials in all participating nations. Biometric identity checks would speed up customs processing.
• A real-time tracking system for optimizing logistics would solve many problems associated with "last-mile" deliveries. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips would be incorporated into product packaging and used to track the real-time location of items as well as other factors, such as the average temperature during shipping and the carbon emissions associated with the shipping of the product.

The report noted that although some of these technologies exist today, widespread implementation will require surmounting institutional barriers. The main obstacle is the lack of cooperation across industries and public agencies, the report said. Additional challenges include concerns about data ownership, data privacy, and resilience against cyberattacks.

A copy of the report is available from The World Economic Forum.