In order to promote the development of the transport sector, the European Commission initiated BESTFACT Project (under the EU's 7th Franework Programme) joining 11 partners - universities and consulting companies - from 8 countries: Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Germany and Lithuania. The leader of the consortium is the company PTV (Planung Transport Verkehr) AG from Germany. The Competence Centre of Intermodal Transport and Logistics (CCITL) of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) is also among the partners of the Consortium. The Centre has accumulated extensive research experience via cooperation in the international EU research networks.  

 

The aim of the BESTFACT Project of the EU's 7th Framework Programme is to create, disseminate and share the best practice and innovations related to freight carriage and contributing to the achievement of the objectives of European transport policy. Apart of formation of the cooperation platform, one of the major aims of BESTFACT Project is to identify the best practice in developing the green and intermodal transport, prepare recommendations on the use of this practice and disseminate the EU's Eastern Neighborhood policy in the sphere of transport. During the Project implementation a unique methodology was prepared; it is aimed to identify and evaluate the best practice examples. 

 

In 2012 the inventory of the best practice cases in the logistics sector was executed within the framework of BESTFACT Project. Afterwards the decision was made to provide brief descriptions of 160 cases and prepare detailed descriptions for 60 cases. Lithuania proposed the following best practice projects: GreCOR Project; One-Window principle in Odessa; Cargo and goods information system (KIPIS); Lithuanian State Border Crossing Online Booking System (EVIS); Central Klaipeda terminal, motorway of the sea Klaipėda – Karlshamn; East-West Transport Corridor Association as an innovative instrument in developing Asia-Europe transport connections; and container train VIKING Project. 

 

The proposed best practice examples have been positively evaluated in the European Union, especially the container train VIKING connecting the Baltic and the Black Seas. In 2014 this project received the EU's BESTFACT award as the Best Green Logistics and Multimodal Transport Project. The container train VIKING is a joint project of Lithuanian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Moldovan railways connecting the Baltic and the Black Seas. VIKING carries universal and special containers and can manage the route between Lithuania and Ukraine (1734 km) in 52 hours. 

          

On 21-23 October the BESTFACT Project Final Conferences was attended by Rimantas Sinkevičius, Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania;  Vytautas Grubliauskas, Mayor of Klaipėda City, and heads of major Lithuanian transport companies. The BESTFACT Project conference aimed to create a platform for discussions, interaction and information exchange between the researchers, scientists and engineers. The final BESTFACT Project conference held on 22-23 October in Kaunas and Klaipėda was attended by more than 100 participants from the EU and countries involved in the Eastern Partnership Programme. An excursion was organised to the participants around the Klaipeda port area, including introduction of the latest infrastructure. A large group of foreign guests had a possibility to evaluate the improved Klaipėda port infrastructure providing for the development of the VIKING project and promoting the trade between Asia and Europe. The main tasks and topics of BESTFACT conference included: 

 

- To present the most promising technologies and means in urban transport, green logistics, co-modality and eFreight which facilitate the improvement of productivity and competitiveness of the European supply chains, and provide the groundwork for further market growth and more sustainable transport development in the EU. 

 

- To discuss the application of the best practice and BESTFACT Project findings in different countries and areas.

 

- To provide a platform for discussions, interactions and exchange between the researchers, scientists and engineers on BESTFACT findings. 

 

Another aim of the Conference was to exchange the best experience by using information technologies, developing cooperation between the logistics and transport companies, coordinating partner activities and developing transport corridors and supply chains. The scientists from foreign countries provided information on implemented innovations. It is expected that in the near future they will help to solve freight transport and logistics problems in the largest cities of their represented countries and in the surrounding regions.