Prof. Dr Arne Heinold
Research for practical application
Prof. Dr Arne Heinold
Research for practical application
For Arne Heinold, the link between research and teaching is not just a theoretical concept: in his work, the Assistant Professor of Transport at Kühne Logistics University (KLU) consistently bridges the gap between abstract mathematical models and practical application. His aim is to find solutions to real-world logistical challenges – together with students, colleagues and international experts. One example of this is SCGraph, a freely accessible transport planning programme. The KLU professor was part of the team that developed this practical tool based on open-source software: thanks to SCGraph, it is now possible to calculate the shortest route between any two points worldwide in milliseconds – whether by rail, road or sea.
Arne Heinold himself had set the ball rolling when he came across the software whilst working on another project and contacted its lead developer, Connor Makowski (see team photo). Together with four other researchers, the pair harmonised large datasets from road, rail and shipping networks and consolidated them into a single structure. In 2025, the international team received the Prize for Open Data from the renowned American research institute MIT for this work. “The fact that SCGraph has already been downloaded around 150,000 times and is being used in research and practice worldwide demonstrates the potential of collaborative projects of this kind,” emphasises Arne Heinold.
Fostering this potential is the aim of the professor and his employer, KLU – entirely in keeping with the foundation’s philosophy that it is “there to drive things forward”. For Arne Heinold, KLU is a place where this idea is put into practice. That is precisely why he completed his Master’s degree here in 2013, and why he returned as a professor in 2024, after a few years in the professional world. At KLU, he can pass on his theoretical and practical expertise to students – whilst at the same time conducting intensive research, including in collaboration with other areas of the Foundation. “The Kühne Foundation gives me the chance to work with world-class experts,” says Arne Heinold. “The Kühne Climate Centre project, for example, which I’m involved in, is pioneering; we’re breaking new ground in research here. That’s something truly special.”
“The Kühne Foundation gives me the opportunity to work with world-class experts.”
Prof. Dr Arne Heinold
Internal interaction
The research project in which Arne Heinold is supporting the Kühne Climate Centre (KCC) focuses on CDR methods, i.e. the sequestration of CO₂ in the oceans and on land. The KCC’s focus is on how logistics can act as a catalyst for such climate protection measures. Much remains unclear; reliable data is needed to make concrete statements. This is where KLU professor Arne Heinold comes in: he is developing the mathematical models used to calculate key factors. These include efficient transport routes from the extraction site to the sea for the rock required for CO₂ storage. A PhD position has been created at KLU for this project.
Rahel Schöni
Dr Natalie Arnold, MD, and Cristian Riccio, PhD
Martina Russomanno & Tomislav Jukić
