Live Version of DiSTILL for Logistics Hub Lausitz is Ready

The DiSTILL project, a digital simulation tool for the further development of the Lusatian region into an international logistics hub, has reached a significant milestone: The first live version of the tool is now available to potential users. This digital tool aims to strengthen Lusatia as a hub for multimodal transport and logistics networks while promoting regional development potential.

The DiSTILL tool enables the integration and preparation of external data through user-friendly interfaces and offers enhanced functions for data maintenance. With the help of the tool, stakeholders in the logistics industry can visualize and evaluate relevant location, infrastructure, and transport information. The focus is on applications in the area of multimodal transport – the connection of road, rail, and water – which are geared towards data-driven decision-making processes.

“Lusatia has outstanding location conditions for the development of multimodal logistics networks – from a powerful road and rail network with interregional connections to strategically important nodes such as terminals, private rail connections, as well as inland and airports,” explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Straube, head of the Logistics department at TU Berlin and project manager of DiSTILL. “With the DiSTILL tool, we create a meaningful basis to analyze and utilize these infrastructural advantages based on data. By integrating parameters such as transport volume, toll data, and socioeconomic factors, the tool enables informed decision-making processes that will strengthen the role of Lusatia in the long term.”

“This tool can be very helpful for companies in planning their transport chains and investment decisions in the future. For example, to determine how much free capacity there is for freight transport on road and rail in Lusatia or will be in the future. As project partners, we are pleased to see the first visible results of our successful collaboration so far. It is a significant project in promoting the location of Lusatia,” says André Fritsche, managing director of the Chamber of Commerce (IHK) Cottbus.

Outlook for 2025: Expansion of Functions

For the year 2025, a gradual expansion of the tool is planned. This includes:

• Visualization of utilization data for road and rail connections
  • Business locations in the context of logistical requirements
  • Network and bottleneck analyses to identify critical points early
  • Evaluation of logistical performance, including efficiency and costs
  • Routing functions considering transport emissions and costs
  • Planned infrastructure projects such as terminal projects and rail expansions
  • Simulation of location decisions to plan investments accurately

With its combination of location factors of Lusatian transport networks, analytical functions as a basis for decision-making, and the planned simulation capabilities, the DiSTILL tool elevates the planning and optimization of multimodal transport chains to a new level. It supports companies in making logistical processes more efficient and sustainable, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the entire Lusatia region – a central step in its transformation into an international logistics hub.

Graphic: © DiSTILL