Disruptive Innovation

Global strategies for reduction of CO2-emissions and energy consumptions force large production facilities to reconsider rail transport as valid alternative for inbound in car manufacturing and for other time critical logistics. Both are demanding in time precision and volume. A disruptive approach using also CPS (cyber physical systems) is applied to introduce terminals with a direct access to motor ways and to rail infrastructures by autonomous systems as core in a new type of terminal superstructures. This brings about a leap frog improvement regarding dynamic and flexibility in response to factories demands’. A scenario is presented and promising qualitative key results are reported. The results have the potential to lay the foundation for further activities in planning and erecting a first terminal and a high volume and high quality multi model transport network in Europe within the context of TEN-T Urban Nodes developments.

Planning and control are fundamental goals that firms pursue at considerable expense. Illustrative examples include ISO 9001, Six Sigma and ERP systems. The exploration of radical control reduction has been left to communities of loosely connected amateurs. The success of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has shown that production models with low levels of control can be competitive. Commercial applications of these models promise competitive advantages to those who overcome the challenges of surrendering control and finding matching business models. This article outlines opportunities and risks associated with this phenomenon.