Decentralized intelligence in freight transport—A critical review Henrik Sternberg a, *, Magnus Andersson b a Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Design Sciences, Division of Packaging Logistics, Box 118, Lund 22100, Sweden b Viktoria Institute, Lindholmspiren 3A, Gothenburg 41756, Sweden 1. Introduction From their experimental beginnings in the early 90s, the computerization of our material surroundings, or ubiquitous computing [1], has sprouted a wealth of venues for research into radical concepts in various industries [2]. This paper reviews one such concept within the freight industry. In their quest for higher freight transport efficiency, many authorities and organisations pay increasing interest to Informa- tion Systems (IS), Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Intelligent Transport System (ITS) (e.g., [3,4]). An innovative concept that has received a lot of attention is the concept of decentralized intelligence in freight transport. Applying ICT with a higher degree of sophistication than what is currently the standard, is assumed to have large potential on environment and efficiency [5]. Indeed, as early as 2004, Scholz-Reiter et al. hypothesized that ‘‘. . .due to the dynamic and structural complex- ity of today’s logistics systems and networks, central planning and control of logistic processes becomes increasingly difficult. Thus, decentralised and autonomous control of logistics processes is required ([25], p. 357)’’. Indeed, bold visions of a radically altered future of freight have been following; ‘‘In five years time most of the goods flowing through European freight corridors will be ‘intelligent’, i.e.: self-aware, context-aware and connected through a global telecommunication network to support a wide range of information services for logistic operators, industrial users and public authorities’’ [6]. This area of research has not passed unnoticed by industry. In a speech about future technology development Leif Johansson (chairman of Ericsson, former CEO of Volvo AB) stated that freight being capable of making decisions will enable higher fill rates and a more efficient freight transport system [7], and he is certainly not alone (see e.g. [8,9]). Considering the trend of increasing ubiquity of information technology (IT) in transportation [10], is decentralized freight intelligence a preferred direction to increase efficiency in freight transport? By reviewing the research on decentralized freight intelligence, the aim of this paper is to provide a critical viewpoint on the potential of the concept as reported in the literature and to point to some critical areas for future scientific investigations. We proceed with a definition of decentralized freight intelli- gence based on current literature and some delimitations. We then describe our research design and analysis of decentralized freight intelligence literature. Following, we discuss the apparent lack of research on decentralized freight intelligence adoption and conclude with some suggestions of research approaches and venues. 1.1. Definitions and delimitations Over the years concepts related to decentralized freight systems have acquired an extensive nomenclature that includes Intelligent Computers in Industry 65 (2014) 306–313 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 4 October 2012 Received in revised form 19 September 2013 Accepted 12 November 2013 Available online 11 December 2013 Keywords: Transport operations Intelligent Cargo Efficiency RFID A B S T R A C T The purpose of this paper is to provide a research outlook on the concept of decentralized freight intelligence, i.e. autonomous freight making localized routing decisions. A review of research literature on decentralized intelligence in freight transport serves as the foundation of the analysis. The analysis reveals a scarcity of scientific evidence to suggest a successful introduction of decentralized freight intelligence. Among numerous conceptual findings, the analysis reveals a dearth of research on the clear and present challenges of introducing and adopting decentralized freight concepts in contemporary multi organizational open freight systems. For practitioners this paper provides useful input on future ICT development in the transport field. In particular, due to the lack of guidance on adoption of decentralized freight, a focus on non-networked benefits of information technology is to be recommended. Given the large number of projects, papers and various initiatives related to decentralized freight intelligence, this paper, to the authors’ best knowledge, provides a novel technology adoption perspective on decentralized freight intelligence research. ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +46 723612556. E-mail addresses: henrik.sternberg@plog.lth.se, sternbeh@gmail.com (H. Sternberg). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Industry jo ur n al ho m epag e: ww w.els evier .c om /lo cat e/co mp in d 0166-3615/$ – see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2013.11.011