BOLD Data - Bridging semi-trailers Operations, Lifecycle and Design through Data

The Dutch semi-trailer sector, largely composed of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), is facing increasing pressure from European sustainability regulations, the electrification of transport, and growing operational complexity. Requirements such as the Vehicle Energy Consumption calculation TOol (VECTO) certification, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) reporting, and circular material accountability demand reliable, usage-based data on trailer performance and lifecycle impact. At the same time, many SMEs already collect operational telematics data but lack integrated methods to translate this data into actionable insights for operational optimization, maintenance planning, regulatory readiness, and future design decisions.
Across the value chain, manufacturers, operators, and technology partners share a practice-based question: how can operational trailer data be systematically transformed into insights that improve efficiency, extend asset lifetimes, and support sustainable, electrification-ready design?
BOLD Data addresses this question by developing and validating an integrated data-driven framework that connects three currently fragmented domains: trailer operation, lifecycle management, and engineering design. In close collaboration between SMEs and knowledge institutes, real-world telematics data will be translated into performance indicators for operational decision-making, usage-based degradation models for predictive maintenance, and realistic design boundary conditions for lightweight and electrification strategies. Digital-twin methods will be applied as analytical tools to link operational behaviour to lifecycle and design implications.
The project focuses on creating a transferable research-based methodology and decision-support framework tailored to SME practice, rather than developing a commercial software product. The framework will be tested in real operational environments with participating trailer manufacturers and fleet operators.
By connecting data to practical decisions, BOLD Data supports improved operational efficiency, extended asset life, regulatory reporting readiness, and strategic futureproofing for Dutch trailer SMEs, thereby strengthening the sector's resilience and competitiveness.