Overview projects - VIL

The VIL project ‘Trailer on Barge Shuttle’ aims to provide an innovative alternative in congestion sensitive areas in Flanders by shuttling empty and/or loaded trailers by barge over relatively short distances by means of a ro-ro (roll on – roll off) concept.

AR (Augmented Reality) & VR (Virtual Reality) are disruptive technologies that are transforming the way we communicate and cooperate with each other. VIL is starting a project that analyzes the possibilities of these technologies for logistic trainings.

Loading and unloading trucks is a time-consuming process that is mostly carried out manually. Truck drivers spend a significant amount of time every year waiting at warehouses to load and unload. For shippers these processes are seen as a necessary evil. VIL is working out the project ‘OptiCharge’ to see how automation can make loading and unloading more efficient.

Hospitals and health facilities have limited insight in logistic costs. Logistics is no core business for health institutions, but that doesn’t make it less important. The pressure on the budgets, strict regulations and changing medical needs of the patients make it necessary  to reorganize health logistics.  In the project ‘Zorghubs’ (Healthcare hubs) VIL is researching the possibilities of healthcare hubs, central spaces where logistic activities of multiple health care institutions are consolidated and optimized.

Local authorities are trying to maintain the liveability in the city centres. Cities in Flanders are growing and traffic congestion is a continuously growing problem. The increasing number of deliveries can been seen as one of the causes. In the project ‘R!sult” VIL is researching an integrated solution for city deliveries.

The logistic costs in the construction industry are considerably high. It is also getting harder and harder to get deliveries to construction sites on time, due to increasing mobility problems. VIL, together with the research center of the construction industry (BBRI), is working out the project ‘Bouwhubs’ (which means ‘construction hubs’ in Dutch) to develop […]

Companies located in city centres generate high volumes of different kinds of waste. Local authorities are imposing more and more restrictions to company vehicles in cities. Urban waste collection is thereby becoming more and more difficult. To increase efficiency, investments in technology and material are necessary. But how do companies handle this and which investments are needed? The VIL project ‘Urban Waste Collection’ is looking for answers to these questions.

This project deals with the ICT paradox in Flanders. A highly developed ICT industry is present in our region. Yet a lot of companies experience difficulties in getting an overview of this fast evolving environment and in setting clear goals to make their digital transformation tangible and feasible. Moreover, the ICT industry is often not involved with digital transformation initiatives.

‘ORDinL’ is a scientific research project run by the KU Leuven, in cooperation with VUB and UHasselt. The goal of this project is to develop fundamental knowlegde on datadriven optimalisation in logistics and to apply this knowlegde in a new operational decision support methodology.

The current push strategy for food packaging does not take sufficient account of the demands, needs and wishes of everyone involved in the chain. Moreover, new distribution channels (e-commerce, food delivery, omnichannel) and an increasing diversity of food products pose new challenges to food packaging. To face these challenges and utilize the opportunities to the […]

Technological evolutions impact what current and future logistic employees should be able to do and know. A competence forcast clarifies the expected shifts, which allows to anticipate and suggest adjustments on education.