Twin Ports universities launch research project

The University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Wisconsin-Superior, with initial funding announced by Congressmen James Oberstar and Dave Obey, will study Great Lakes maritime commerce

The Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute (GLMRI), a joint project between the Universities of Minnesota-Duluth and Wisconsin-Superior, is now on track, with an initial $750,000 federal grant to fund its startup as announced in December by Representatives James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Dave Obey (D-Wis.).

The new institute will allow for the first-ever comprehensive study of Great Lakes regional maritime commerce. It will combine the strengths of the two universities and their respective transportation research centers to feature the Twin Ports as a transportation hub, as it has been for more than 150 years, and to analyze what should be done to expand shipping opportunities in the future.

"I'm pleased that we have been able to secure funding for this initiative. This joint research effort will help develop an improved Lake Superior cross-border transportation system that can carry commerce and passengers safely and economically and lay the groundwork for future economic development for the Twin Ports and the region," said Congressman Obey. "The joint work by UMD and UWS will also serve as a model for future university, industry and government partnerships."

"This funding will be very useful in furthering research about the unique characteristics of the Great Lakes maritime industry and trade through the region's waterways. Research by UMD and UWS on issues such as the expanded use of freight ferries, improved mobility and regional supply chain efficiency, will provide valuable insight into how to maximize the many opportunities the Great Lakes provide," said Congressman Oberstar. "With the expertise offered by The UMD-UWS Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute, we can enhance the nation's maritime infrastructure."

The Institute plans to host relevant research affiliates from other Great Lakes universities to serve as project researchers. Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Mich., is the first university to join as a research affiliate. An external advisory board made up of regional maritime experts from the government and the private sectors will act as a steering group to focus research efforts. Future funding sources will include federal funds along with state, federal, regional and private grants.

The GLMRI will continue its research on short sea shipping routes on the Great Lakes, assist in efforts to study ballast water management for exotic species and examine the use of bio-fuels in marine transportation.

Additional items on the Institute's agenda will be the acquisition and analysis of much needed data regarding the Great Lakes:

Market research in expanding maritime and intermodal shipping.

Support of new vessel design studies.

Great Lakes cluster industries supported by maritime commerce.

Potential cruise, ferry and RO-RO markets.

The impact of legal constraints to Great Lakes shipping such as the Harbor Maintenance Tax.

Environmental benefits of waterborne transportation.

Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, who was instrumental in promoting the GLMRI, has stated that, "In Europe, for example, the national governments and the environmental organizations have come to understand that waterborne transportation is the answer to urban traffic congestion, while also meaning cleaner air, fewer accidents, less energy consumption, less waste disposal and lower freight rates. In Europe, they have long had formal academic ties with industry and government in promoting maritime commerce. This Institute will help identify opportunities for additional cargoes to be moved via Great Lakes shipping. North America has a long way to go in appreciating the environmental and intermodal benefits of waterborne transportation," said Mr. Ojard.

Research will be coordinated with the Maritime Administration (MARAD), the agency within the Department of Transportation responsible for promoting the development of a merchant marine sufficient to meet the needs of national defense and the domestic and foreign commerce of the United States.

The co-directors of GLMRI are Richard Stewart, Ph.D., from UW-Superior's Transportation and Logistics Research Center, and Jim Riehl, dean of the College of Science and Engineering at UMD. Dr. Stewart has extensive maritime experience as a master of vessels and an executive, professor and researcher in marine transportation for more than 30 years. Dr. Riehl was recently distinguished as a McKnight Presidential Leadership Chair award recipient recognizing his extraordinary scholarship achievements and his role as a leader and mentor throughout his career.

University of Wisconsin-Superior's support of GLMRI

In 1998, UW-Superior started a baccalaureate major in Transportation and Logistics Management. The program has placed graduates in companies through-out the U.S. and overseas. The program currently has 65 students in the major with a 98 percent placement in their field after graduation.

In 1999, The Transportation and Logistics Research Center was established at the university. Since its inception, the T&L Center has had over $1.3 million in grants from federal, state and regional agencies along with industry grants. More than 360 transportation workers have been trained in courses covering topics such as hazardous materials shipping, air and marine transportation and warehouse management. The Research Center is fully funded by an Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) from the state of Wisconsin. The Center is located in a suite of offices completed in 2003 with advanced computers and access to Geographic Information Systems.

Two full-time faculty and an administrative assistant are provided by the ESP funding. The faculty are members of the Department of Business and Economics, and additional faculty with expertise in computer information management, economics and operations research are released to engage in research projects. Additional information can be found at http://www2.uwsuper.edu/trans/

The University of Wisconsin-Superior has also been engaged in Great Lakes related environmental research activities for more than 25 years, starting with the Lake Superior Research Institute. This institute is currently engaged in, among other activities, research on merchant vessel ballast water operations on the Great Lakes. In January 2005, the Lake Superior Research Institute was awarded a $500,000 grant to continue studies on ballast water treatment. A 63-foot research vessel, the L.L. Smith Jr., and numerous small craft are available for field sampling on Lake Superior and inland lakes.

University of Minnesota-Duluth's support of GLMRI
The University of Minnesota Duluth brings to the GLMRI the support of Northland Advanced Transportation Systems Research Laboratories (NATSRL). NATSRL is a relatively new research center, formally established in March 2001 under the University of Minnesota Duluth, and is affiliated with the University of Minnesota's University Transportation Center (UTC) and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute in Minneapolis.

Target research areas are winter transportation systems, small urban transportation issues and intermodal freight transportation systems integrating shipping, railroad and trucking. NATSRL's intent is to provide balanced research and education programs that actively pursue a wide range of applied topics in transportation.

Since that time, the program has progressed to having three laboratory areas: The Advanced Sensor Research Lab (ASRL), the Transportation Data Research Lab (TDRL) and the Transportation Engineering Research Lab (TERL). Current research projects cover a variety of topics, including the development and analysis of visual and electronic traffic and road sensors, traffic flow analysis and management in high traffic areas, software development to detect weather sensor malfunctions and management and benchmarking of transportation and road equipment with specific interest in winter road maintenance activities.

The expertise, experience, partnerships and data sharing agreements of UMD's Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE) and its Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) deliver a strong capacity supporting the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute. BBER can deploy economic modeling experience and faculty and student research capacity as well as statistical analysis, econometric and input-output analysis, feasibility studies, GIS mapping, workforce surveys and business plan development.

The UMD Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) is essentially an oceanography research institute, the only one in the country dedicated to the study of freshwater lakes worldwide. Its research focuses on the global implications of investigations in the areas of aquatic chemistry, circulation dynamics, geochemistry, acoustic remote sensing, plankton dynamics, sedimentology and paleoclimatology. LLO operates the largest university-owned research vessel on the Great Lakes, the 87-foot stern trawler R/V Blue Heron.

The GLMRI will leverage its expertise by funding joint research projects with the Great Lakes Maritime Academy and other universities in the Great Lakes Basin.

Dean Riehl calls the funding "the perfect match of UMD's strong engineering and business and economics programs and the UWS Transportation and Logistics Research Center. Our combined research capabilities will make significant contributions to the Great Lakes transportation system."

Dr. Richard Stewart remarks that, "The establishment of a research institute is strongly supported by government agencies, the maritime community, shippers and port authorities."