IKIGAI Kicks Off: An EU Project Accelerating the Physical Internet and Zero-Emission Freight

IKIGAI is an EU-funded innovation project aiming to accelerate the adoption of the Physical Internet (PI) by 2040 and achieve decarbonised freight transport and logistics by 2050. Responding to the EU’s Green Deal objectives, IKIGAI supports the shift towards zero-emission, collaborative logistics through the creation of standardised, interoperable systems across digital, physical, and operational layers. The project demonstrates five integrated Logistics Innovations (LIs) in real-world pilots across Europe: - Trustee-led matchmaking and volume pooling for intermodal, zero-emission transport - A collaborative platform supporting SMEs with eFTI compliance - Smart urban logistics hubs for synchromodal, zero-emission last-mile delivery - A blockchain-based chain of custody for carbon emissions reporting - Governance and operations for pooled reusable modular boxes IKIGAI’s methodology combines the development of a PI Norm, real-life audits, and a sector-wide governance structure, the PI Coalition. These are packaged in a comprehensive “Golden Scale-up Package” designed to foster broad industry uptake. The project aligns industry efforts with policy, market and societal needs, laying the foundation for an EU Partnership on Logistics and supporting the twin transition of digitalisation and decarbonisation. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101202912