System Dinamics Simulation : an Application to Regional Logistics Policy Making

The fast-pace development of trades with the Far East is giving the Mediterranean Sea the chance of becoming a major logistics hub. In the Mediterranean-front E.U. regions, public and private investments are aimed at this opportunity by integrating transportation networks, sea ports, and inland logistics platforms. With specific regard to the North-West of Italy, a model based on System Dynamics has been simulated to help decision and policy makers in the task of planning and directing the investment effort. The model provides impact analysis of freight traffic flow trends in the region on the medium and long-term, as a result of the interaction between exogenous variables and different case-scenarios for road and railroad infrastructure investment