Within the scope of the EU's technology project ALSO Danube, the integration of the Danube waterway into modern house-to-house logistics chains has been studied and tested using innovative information technology. To demonstrate project results, two just-in-time logistics chains were set up. Steel coils from the production site in Linz were shipped to Krems and Antwerp with such tremendous success that both transport routes have been operated commercially on a regular basis since the end of the project in May 2003.

Information is crucial to success in this case. The competent Belgian shipping company Sealift n.V. has to invest an enormous amount of time and effort into co-ordinating data since various companies are involved in the house-to-house logistics chain Linz-Antwerp. A database makes it possible to network the transport management systems of all members and to synchronise all processes along the entire intermodal logistics chain. Managing and thoroughly tracing the flow of information is but one aspect in the process; another key feature in the chain is changing cargo and carrier, if necessary, between the port of Linz and the maritime port of Antwerp.