UROP Project

Freight Mobility as a Service

freight transportation, digital platforms, mobility as a service, service matching, sustainable transportation, logistics, economics

Research Mentor: Dr. Ziyue (Jelly) Li, he/his/him
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: zl23n@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors.
Project Location: Fully Remote
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

• Day: Friday, September 4
  Start Time: 12:00
  End Time: 12:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/2236120485
• Day: Friday, September 4
  Start Time: 12:30
  End Time: 1:00
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/2236120485

Project Description

The goal of this project is to conceive an effective and sustainable digital matching platform for composite services, defined as Freight Mobility as a Service (FMaaS), combining offerings from multiple, independent service providers, analyse its consequences, and understand the conditions under which such platforms are accepted and used, and provide environmental and societal benefits.

The project will initially focus on the Netherlands, which provides a particularly interesting setting because of its well-developed multimodal freight transportation network, including road, rail, and inland waterways. Students may investigate how different transportation services can be integrated through a digital matching platform and how such integration could improve the efficiency and sustainability of freight transportation. The research may also explore how the proposed concept could be adapted to the U.S. context, with the potential to reduce reliance on road freight, alleviate congestion, and lower environmental impacts.

This project is intended for students who are genuinely interested in multimodal transportation, Mobility as a Service, and sustainable freight transportation, as well as students interested in transportation systems in the Netherlands, the U.S., and other international cities. Students will also have the opportunity to collaborate with international scholars and gain experience working on an international research project. Due to the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the project, students who are highly motivated to take initiative in their research are particularly encouraged to apply.

Research Tasks: Flexible, depending on the student's interests and background. Potential research tasks include literature review, data analysis, surveys and interviews, and other research activities related to Freight Mobility as a Service.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Literature search and review, basic data analysis, and good communication and writing skills.