Skip to main content

Topic outline

  • Project Summary, Objectives and Expected Impacts

    The project  Physical Internet Living Lab (“PILL”) started at the beginning of 2021. The Physical Internet (“PI”) is an innovative concept, a next-generation vision on efficient, resilient and sustainable logistics. The PI aims to interconnect transport networks, looking to move freight in the most optimal way ⎯ from origin to destination. But before going into detail, let’s start with some terminology.

    PILL: scope and objectives of the project

    PILL, a cSBO-project, aims to contribute to academic as well as applied knowledge. In order to strike that balance between being rooted in practice and being academically grounded, the Living Lab-toolkit has proven itself to be most suited.

    Within the PILL-project, researchers and developers will work in close cooperation with the port and logistics sector to develop new concepts that still face considerable challenges, before they can be implemented in daily operations and/or business offerings. 

    The physical internet is all about connecting the dots. PI and its related concept of synchromodality are very much related and can enhance each other. They hold great promise in allowing the next generation of logistical processes to be more efficient, reliable, flexible and sustainable. The main objective of PILL is to leverage the state-of-the-art in physical internet assets (knowledge, hardware and software) into two pilot testbeds in Flanders. These testbeds will be focused on maritime logistics processes and within Flemish port terminals.

    Expected impacts and outcomes

    What would we like to achieve with the project? Firstly, we want to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of node processes by utilizing assets and spare capacities in order to accommodate transport demand and facilitate the complex physical reality of logistics. In this regard, optimization of human resources, equipment, infrastructure etc. will be taken into account.

    Secondly, we want to create transparent real-time services to be used by companies operating within nodes connectable to long-distance flows by rail, road or inland waterways.


    https://www.imec-int.com/en/pill

  • ALICE members as partners of PILL

  • Project Q&A: Ask Your questions here!

  • Presentations, Documents & Leaflets