Chair of Mobility, Trade & Logistics

When man in a remote valley in the south of France suddenly had the time to create works of art on cave walls in the Chauvet Cave 35,000 years ago, the spark of globalization jumped over. Planned action, economic activity based on the division of labour, and the willingness to trade overcame scarcity and created free time. A principle that still creates free time today, in which change, innovation and ideas are driven forward.

When free time is made possible, creative spaces are created. Mobility as the need to escape spatial monotony, trade as the necessity to obtain new things and logistics as a systematic tool to enable mobility and trade have been the drivers of a humane society ever since.

To look at mobility, trade and logistics from a purely business perspective is too one-dimensional and too normatively linked to the goals of companies. The chair is therefore fundamentally oriented towards economics. Macroeconomic dimensions and microeconomic subtleties are taken into account, addressed, researched and interpreted. If business administration moved towards microeconomic theory with the evolutionary theory of individual economics of institutions as the doctrine of entrepreneurial functions, the Chair of Mobility, Retailing and Logistics develops a new way of thinking that substantiates the economic explanation theories of business administration from an economic theory perspective.

In the same way, the Chair understands its mission to impart knowledge. Mathematical symbolism is to be replaced by the ability to explain observable facts in economic terms, to measure them empirically and thus to act entrepreneurially and generate economic benefits.

A central research focus of the chair is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI plays a crucial role in mobility, trade, and logistics. It enables the analysis of massive data sets through machine learning and deep learning, extracting valuable insights to enhance efficiency and develop innovative solutions. The use of AI in the automotive sector, particularly in electrification, autonomous driving, and the sharing economy, is of paramount importance, supported by numerous studies and scenarios.

Distributed Ledger Technology, especially blockchain, offers new possibilities for mobility, trade, and logistics. It enables decentralized governance structures and digital identities, making trustworthy transactions traceable and efficient, thereby enhancing cybersecurity.

A notable project of our chair was the AI platform project for the German automotive industry, aimed at supporting research and development in autonomous driving. Autonomous driving offers the potential to make traffic safer, more efficient, and more affordable. Essential functions such as environmental recognition and maneuver planning can be realized using AI methods. High-quality and large quantities of training data were needed, especially in complex urban scenarios, where AI was crucial for detecting, representing, interpreting, and predicting traffic situations.

The AI platform created a shared database for training and test data available to industry companies, research institutes, and testing organizations. This database facilitated the identification of optimal architectures for artificial neural networks for object recognition, later used in electronic components and systems for automated driving functions. Standardized and flexible data structures were developed for current and future sensors, considering both real and artificially generated or modified data. Legal frameworks and data protection aspects were also examined, and appropriate operator concepts were developed.

Our research is driven by questions about necessary, possible, and impossible changes. Technological innovations open up entirely new possibilities, overcoming production limitations. Conversely, climate change, dependence on scarce energy resources, and congested infrastructures in urban areas pose new challenges that must be addressed to maintain sustainable, fair, and safe mobility while meeting user requirements.

A significant part of our teaching and research activities included the lecture "Economics of Artificial Intelligence" and the seminar "Structural Integrity of Non-Proprietary Artificial Intelligence Platforms." These events provided in-depth knowledge about the economic impacts and technical challenges of AI. The chair plans to continue offering lectures and seminars on these topics to ensure continuous education and deepening in this dynamic research field. Additionally, we regularly publish articles on topics such as "Team Robotics and Industrial Artificial Intelligence," providing practical insights into current developments and research findings.

Finally, space mobility and satellite communication, essential for autonomous driving in terms of communication, data transmission, and networking, are now central to our current research and teaching activities. These developments are integral to our mission to promote sustainable, fair, and future-proof mobility.

Courses Spring Semester 2024:
Lecturer: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Schulz

• Microeconomics
  
• Mobility Innovations & Digitalization
• Macroeconomics