Sep 16 2026 (Wed) 11:00-12:00 | Seminar by Dr. Elnaz (Elli) Irannezhad

Building the Digital Backbone of Freight Models and Tools: a Toolkit for the Next Freight Transport Transition

Speaker:

Dr. Elnaz (Elli) Irannezhad

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Date:    Sep 16 2026 (Wed)

Time:   11:00 am – 12:00 nn

Venue: HW 103, 1/F, Haking Wong Building, the University of Hong Kong

Abstract

Freight transport is being reshaped simultaneously from two directions: the push to decarbonise, and the arrival of automation. Both transitions demand decision-support tools that planners, operators, and researchers can trust — yet the freight system is too fragmented for any single model to capture it. This seminar presents a number of research toolkit and computational tools built to address emerging challenges across freight transport systems: electric truck charging and battery-swap network planning, rail electrification infrastructure optimisation, agent-based and system-dynamics simulation tools for decarbonisation and automation of freight transport systems. The seminar zooms into a number of the toolkit's empirical extensions, illustrating a common approach: pairing optimisation, machine learning and simulation tools with empirical, human-centred evidence to design an efficient and low-carbon freight system.

About the speaker

Elnaz (Elli) Irannezhad is a Senior Lecturer in Transport Engineering at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW). Her research focuses on the automation, digitalisation, optimisation, and decarbonisation of transport and mobility systems, with a particular emphasis on freight transport. Elnaz received her PhD in Transport Engineering from the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2018. She served 3 years as Postdoctoral researcher at UQ and two years as Principal Engineer and Portfolio Leader of Future Mobility at the Australian Road Research Board. In March 2022, she joined the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Her research trajectory underscores a dedicated commitment to research translation and industry engagement. Her professional journey spans significant roles within the transportation sector, contributing over seven years as a transport engineer and senior transport modeller in Iran before undertaking PhD, fostering invaluable experiences in client interaction and applying engineering expertise in real-world settings.

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