ComplexWorld Workshop 3. Air Transport Network: an integrated view

3rd ComplexWorld Workshop. Barcelona, Friday 20th of September 2013.

Finding air transport solutions through complex network theory and intermodal transport concepts

This year, as part of its Knowledge Development activities, the WP_E ComplexWorld Network is organizing  a number of workshops on topics related to “Complexity and ATM”. The main objective is to advance the contents of the ComplexWorld Position Paper (which you can find in the ComplexWorld Wiki).

We now announce the third workshop (WS3), called “Air Transport Network: an Integrated View”, which will take place in Barcelona, on Friday 20 September 2013, from 09:00 to 14:00 h. The workshop is run alongside the ECCS 2013 Conference, taking place the day that the conference ends, in order to minimise additional travel as some of you may be participating in ECCS.

To analyse the air transport network (be it at a regional, national, trans-national or at a global level), it is best to abstract and integrate the various complex and heterogeneous ATM elements in a way that allows the assessment of properties of interest without needing to include too much detail (which would be impractical or even impossible if dealing with the whole ATM system). A good framework that can help to develop these models is complex network theory. Complex networks have proven themselves to be very useful in diverse applications, as very diverse systems often share similar characteristics when viewed at a network level. This suggests the possible existence of universal mechanisms of organization. In this workshop, we will discuss applications of Complex Network Theory to the Air Transport Network.

Another subject that will be covered in this workshop is the capacity to combine different modes of transport (intermodality). Doing this in a flexible way is one of the cornerstones of the “sustainable mobility” concept, which underlies European transport policy. The intermodality of transport, which enables national transport networks to be integrated, is being promoted and implemented through European programmes such as ‘Marco Polo’. Trans-European networks, in the form of infrastructure projects of common interest, also aim to improve the intermodality of transport. Specifically, they aim to stimulate investment in order to foster the emergence of an integrated transport network covering the entire community and encompassing all the different modes of transport.

If you are interested in attending or would like to know more, please contact Prof. Damian Rivas, University of Seville ([email protected]).