Ship design optimization in the multimodal logistics framework

The significance of multimodal transportation systems has worldwide increased significantly over the past two decades. European Union, United States and Japan have increased their efforts in studying the dynamics of multimodal transportation networks. In the paper about recent research work on the optimization problem of the design of ferries and Ro-Ro cargo ships using pattern recognition techniques (Artificial Neural Networks), Multi-objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGA) and the know-how created through the EU FP6 Research Project LOGBASED. A case study on the transportation of agricultural goods from the Greek Island of Crete to the markets of Munich is presented. The results of this study prove useful for the assessment of viable solutions serving in a balanced way for the interests of shipyards, ship operators, cargo owners, banking and financial institutions, investors and government administrations in the framework of optimized transportation scenarios.