Research projects

The “BIO-INTEL-MOB” project makes a substantial contribution to implementing the objectives of Horizon Europe, in particular promoting climate-neutral, sustainable and resilient cities for a more liveable urban future. The consortium, comprising a total of 32 partners from 13 countries, receives funding of around €9 million over a period of 42 months.

The aim of the project is to transform mobility, logistics and governance in peri-urban areas through AI-driven, citizen-centric, and climate-neutral solutions. The project addresses fragmented mobility networks, inefficient logistics and governance gaps, and integrates an advanced mobility data space, peri-urban mobility hubs, a green-safe routing algorithm, bio-packaging logistics units and digital twin ecosystems.

Part of the project involves demonstrating the developed solutions at pilot and satellite sites in several European regions. As part of the pilot implementation, Melsungen, a peri-urban area of Kassel, is acting as a satellite pilot for the mega-pilot taking place in Rome to ensure transferability and scalability. To this end, the solutions are being adapted to the needs of Melsungen. In addition, this satellite pilot is investigating the role of industry in the decarbonisation of peri-urban areas by involving the region’s largest employer in the development of solutions for emission reduction and mobility. These initiatives use the uniform data collection model developed with other pilot sites and ensure harmonised, interoperable data sets. The satellite pilot contributes to improving peri-urban logistics and connectivity, as well as reducing packaging waste and emissions. 

The Technology, Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship (TIME) Unit at the University of Kassel carries out or supports scientific activities in various fields.
 

Objective in detail:

• Interdisciplinary studies of user behaviour through interviews with stakeholders, behavioural analyses and the collection of data from practical experience
• Research and development of viable business models for innovative mobility and logistics solutions that integrate principles of the circular economy and renewable energies
• Social science study of public stakeholder acceptance and identification of measures to optimise solutions and implementation strategies
• Scientific processing and publication of results to make them accessible to the scientific community and the general public

Project partners:

• Pilot region Melsungen: University of Kassel, Regionalmanagement Nordhessen GmbH, City of Melsungen, B. Braun Melsungen AG
• Pilot regions Rome and Ciampino (Italy): La Sapienza University of Rome, Capital City of Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, City of Ciampino, Roma Servizi per la Mobilità Srl, CTLup Srl, Laziale Distribuzione S.p.A., ISFORT S.p.A., ILP Consulting Srl
• Pilot regions Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania): Latvian Institute of Transport and Telecommunications, Mykolas Romeris University, Riga Planning Region, City of Vilnius
• Pilot region Cascais-Lisbon (Portugal): National Research Institute of Civil Engineering Portugal, City of Cascais
• Pilot region Rhodes (Greece): Centre for Research and Technology Greece, City of Rhodes
• Pilot region Urla-Izmir (Turkey): Aegean University Izmir, City of Urla
• Pilot region Kiev (Ukraine): National Transport University Kiev, Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine
• Other partners: Free University of Brussels (Belgium), Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka (Croatia), Transport Research Centre Brno (Czechia), University of Twente (Netherlands), POLIS Network of Cities and Regions for Transport Innovation (Belgium), ECTRI European Conference of Transport Research Institutes (Belgium), International Road Federation (Switzerland)

Duration: 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2029

The project "unIT-e² - Real-world laboratory for networked e-mobility" addresses the diverse challenges that are required for the widespread use of e-mobility as a building block of the energy transition. With unIT-e², real-world laboratories are being created that offer a neutral framework for stakeholders with sometimes competing interests. Here, solutions can be worked on together under scientific supervision without having to put one's own business goals on the back burner.

One aim of the project is to demonstrate interoperable solutions for holistically optimized integration into the energy system.

In addition to technical and IT development, which forms the basis for the mass application of electromobility (e-mobility), the question of user acceptance is of paramount importance. Both the expression of individual preferences and the design of the legal framework play a decisive role here.

Sub-project: Behavioral and legal economic analyses

The sub-project "Behavioral and legal-economic analyses" at the University of Kassel therefore aims to research user behavior in the context of e-mobility use in general and charging behavior in particular.

The research focuses on incentive systems to influence charging behavior. With a combination of conceptualization, field experiments and representative empirical studies, extensive and at the same time practical results are generated, which are relevant as a basis for the design of tariffs and products of the practice partners, but also for the further development of the current legal framework.

Based on the above-mentioned overarching objectives, the scientific activities focus on various fields of activity.

Objectives in detail:

• Behavioral economic studies of charging behavior, especially in the context of the interaction of user preferences with the requirements of the electricity grid
• Microeconomic and behavioral science-based analysis of the incentive effects of different contract and tariff designs ("behavioral law and economics")
• Analysis of adoption barriers in the various phases of the adoption process and identification of measures to reduce barriers
• Development of different tariff and contract designs and comparison of these with regard to legal admissibility, incentive effects and benefits for companies and households

Project partners:

• University of Kassel: Departments of "Microeconomics and Empirical Energy Economics" (MEE), "Fundamentals of Law, Private Law and Economics of Civil Law" (R&Ö) and "Technology and Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship" (TIME)

Duration: August 01, 2021 to July 31, 2024

Project objective:

The project pursues the vision of raising the awareness of the handcraft industry to IT security and empowering them technically, organisationally, and competence-based for IT security. Since the handcraft industry is still at the beginning of digitalisation, this requires targeted interdisciplinary cooperation within a joint research project. Accordingly, approaches from management research on business models, skills and technology assessment (University of Kassel) are combined with expertise in the design, development, and testing of reliable, secure, user-friendly and valuable applications, information infrastructures, as well as decision support systems (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Transfer to the handcraft industry is ensured by the network of the Berufsförderungswerk des Handwerks and associated partners. The University of Kassel complements the technical development of the AI-supported IT security assistant with a training concept. Based on a comparison of existing and required competence and skill profiles, demand-oriented further training offers are being developed and tested to raise the awareness of skilled workers to IT security and enable them to improve IT security management in their own companies. In order to enable a long-term follow-up application, suitable business models for the intelligent IT security assistant will further be explored. The project thus makes an essential contribution to the goals of the "IT Security in the Economy" initiative, not only by raising awareness of IT security in the skilled trades but also by building up technical, organisational, and social security skills so that the level of IT security in the skilled trades is increased.

Objective in detail:

• Technology assessment concerning IT security in the digital transformation in the handcraft industry
• Identification of viable business models for the intelligent IT security assistant and the accompanying service offering
• Need-based further training of skilled workers in dealing with IT in order to sensitise them to IT security-relevant aspects and to strengthen their competencies & skills
• Ongoing (supra-)regional networking of the project with existing and other associated partners

Partner:

Prof. Dr. Patrick Spieth, University of Kassel

Prof. Dr. Ali Sunyaev, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Berufsförderungswerk des Handwerks gGmbH (BFH)

Duration:

Aug 1, 2021 to Jul 31, 2024

For more information, please visit: https://intelligent-security-handwerk.de/

Project objective:

Due to an increasing distribution of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in nearly all realms regarding private life as well as working life, those technologies are essential to people. However, craft businesses are still at a starting point of digitalization due to high amounts of non-automatable and experience-based operations, resulting in the threat of a digital separation for two reasons: First, in times of high global competition, the use of ICTs has the potential to gain competitive advantages. Second, there is a discrepancy between employees’ capabilities regarding the use of ICTs. These reasons foster the separation of successful, digitalized handcraft enterprises and those who are less digitalized. Therefore, it is necessary to counter this separation by analyzing the status quo, ensuring sufficient utilization possibilities of digital technologies and by developing appropriate teaching and learning material.

Thus, “FachWerk” pursues the objective to enhance digitalization and the development of competencies amongst craft businesses. 

Objective in detail:

• Digitalization of craft: Analysis of future use possibilities of ICTs & development, technical evaluation and exploitation of a teaching and learning platform
• Competencies of skilled workers: Analysis of needs, conception and development of a teaching and learning platform and pedagogical evaluation of the platform
• Adequate qualification in craft: Testing of the teaching and learning platform
• Digitalization of work in building craft: Testing, evaluation and qualification of skilled workers
• Digitalization of work in electronic guild: Testing, evaluation and qualification of skilled workers

Partners:

• Prof. Dr. Patrick Spieth, University of Kassel
• Prof. Dr. Ludger Schmidt, University of Kassel
• Prof. Dr. Steffi Robak, Leibnitz University Hanover
• Berufsförderungswerk des Handwerks gGmbH (BFH)
• Gringel Bau + Plan GmbH
• Hübschmann Aufzüge GmbH & Co KG
• Agentur für Arbeit Korbach
• Handwerkskammer Kassel

Duration:

Feb 1, 2017 to Jan 31, 2020

Project objective

With steadily increasing innovation expenditures in the German economy there is an increasing risk of misallocating resources to unsuccessful innovations. Consequently, knowing the determinants of successful innovation is vital to a systematic and successful innovation management. The significance of these determinants is further reflected in a great scholarly interest, which has led to a great number of publications in the field of empirical research on success factors of innovation since the late 1950s. However, despite extensive efforts in science and practice, innovative new products generally still have a failure rate of up to 90%. The key factors of market success of innovations are customer acceptance and adoption. 

In this research project, first, forms of rejection along the adoption process will be identified. Second, potential reasons for the identified forms of customer rejection will be determined in an exploratory study and quantified through a large-scale study. Third, strategies of overcoming these adoption constraints will be developed. Last, the developed strategies will be tested in experiments.

Research Questions:

• What adoption constraints are significant in the early phases of the adoption process? 
• What adoption constraints are significant in the middle phases of the adoption process?
• What adoption constraints are significant in the late phases of the adoption process?
• What measures to reduce adoption constraints are most effective in the early phases of the adoption process?
• What measures to reduce adoption constraints are most effective in the middle phases of the adoption process?
• What measures to reduce adoption constraints are most effective in the late phases of the adoption process?

Participants:

• Prof. Dr. Patrick Spieth, University of Kassel
• Prof. Dr. Sven Heidenreich, Saarland University

Duration:

Aug 1, 2015, to July 31, 2017

(The Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts / House of Logistics and Mobility GmbH: Impact of demographic change on mobility-related user behavior)

Project objective:

Due to an aging, shrinking and moving population as well as to an increasing climate awareness, the use of short-range public transportation is decreasing. As a consequence, an important source of income for public transportation providers is declining. There are two noticeable trends: First, due to the effects of urbanization there is an increased demand for public transportation in cities. Second, whereas the overall demand for public transportation in suburbs and rural areas is decreasing, it remains stable for individual persons in rural areas. It is, thus, a major challenge for transportation providers to secure the accessibility of public service facilities as well as to enhance individual mobility opportunities.

This research project aims at analyzing current traffic concepts and infrastructural facilities. Subsequently, it will be possible to show future scenarios of adjusted and flexible mobility opportunities with regard to urbanization, demographic change and climate change. To successfully finalize the project, a concept of need-based solutions for the development of an adjusted mobility offer, which takes problems of demographic change into account, will be presented. Research results will be discussed in trans regional workshops with transportation providers in order to establish comprehensive strategies for action.

Research questions:

• What impact factors of demographic change on mobility behavior can be identified on the basis of the current state of research?
• What future scenarios can be deduced from the identified impact factors?
• What recommendations for public transportation in northern Hesse can be deduced?

Participants:

• Prof. Dr. Patrick Spieth
• Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund
• Kasseler Verkehrs-Gesellschaft
• MoWiN.net - Mobilitätswirtschaft Nordhessen

Duration:

Jan 1, 2016, to Dec 31, 2016