At the beginning of 2015, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) published the "Security Strategy for the Freight Transport and Logistics Industry - Critical Infrastructure Protection and Intermodal Security". This document reveals (at least at the federal level) considerable knowledge deficits regarding the criticality of logistics infrastructures due to potential threats such as floods, but also terrorist attacks. This makes it clear: Germany is only partially prepared for risks affecting the logistics infrastructure because existing and future risks have not been assessed in a sufficiently qualified manner.

Only the structured, methodologically sound and complete identification of risks as well as their assessment make it possible to assess and prioritise logistics infrastructures with regard to their criticality and to develop corresponding measures and action plans that reduce the frequency (or probability) and/or consequences of the risks and thus ensure a high availability of logistics, also as an economic supply system.

The project at HOLM

The RIMA-KIL project "Risk Management for Critical Infrastructures in Logistics" closes the gap by developing a practice-oriented procedure model for identifying and assessing risks for logistics infrastructures. It thus makes a significant contribution to the HOLM research agenda, especially on the "future viability of logistics and mobility".

The aim of the project is to develop, test, validate and establish a conceptual and procedural process model as well as a method set with which critical infrastructures in logistics can be identified and assessed. The process model and method set serve primarily as a tool for public institutions, starting with the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Development (HMWEVL) as well as the downstream authorities, to be able to carry out risk analyses of the logistics infrastructure in a methodologically sound and standardised form. RIMA-KIL thus lays the foundation for the risk assessment of logistics infrastructures.

The applicability of the model and the usability of the results are demonstrated on the basis of concrete logistics infrastructures (including the trimodal terminal of Contargo Rhein-Main GmbH in Frankfurt's Osthafen).

Project period: 01.03. - 30.11.2016
Funding by the HOLM Innovation Fund
Project management: Prof. Dr. Michael Huth, Fulda University of Applied Sciences
Project partner: RiskNET GmbH
Associated partners: Hessen Mobil - Straßen- und Verkehrsmanagement, Contargo Rhein-Main GmbH