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Urban Logistics

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Groups & Contents tagged with "Urban Logistics"

The Innovation Marketplace aims to connect innovation seekers looking for solutions to solve their pain points and challenges and solution owners TRL7+ Wiling to advance their solutions to the market.

It also gather Implementation Cases, i.e. success stories of companies and entrepreneurs that have implemented R&I results into market applications.


Skill Level: Beginner

Within this group, you will find people and organizations from ALICE membership interested in preparing proposals for this topic. You can also find partner profiles as well as partner searchers and you are able to post your profile too. 

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

  • Take up and upscaling of innovative, best practice and replicable data driven logistics solutions and planning in the living labs[1] involved in the proposals, while facilitating the common lesson drawing and learning at European level, in order to contribute to the priorities of the European Green Deal, which stresses that ‘’transport should become drastically less polluting, especially in cities.[2] This action supports city sustainability targets such as climate neutrality, road safety, improved air quality, reduced congestion and better use of public space.
  • Optimal mix distribution of land uses both in city centres and peripheries looking at the preferred rationales for achieving the best combination of residential, commercial, leisure and industrial space to reach the most sustainable mobility patterns according to the available and future transport supply and demand.[3]
  • Improved local authority capacity in the managing and collection of data, estimation and measurements of the impacts achieved by new measures and if a regulation is needed to ensure this happening.
  • Valorisation of data and information gathered from urban freight to better understand the impact of long-haul deliveries and e-commerce on the city as “just in time” deliveries are producing longer and more trips with more and emptier vehicles, leading to more congestion, air and noise pollution, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and road risk in urban areas.
  • Optimise the potential mix of strategically positioned land, owned by public authorities (unused railway tracks and marshalling yards, real estate, parking) or by logistics service providers in urban areas, for developing a comprehensive policy strategy integrating transport, logistics and land use. The scope of this exercise includes the roll-out of new modes and increasing use of sustainable modes (waterways and rail). Better understand the impact of increasing transport and logistics patterns on the climate and environment, resilience and robustness of the transport network and the urban infrastructure. This exercise addresses as well the increasing impact of new modes, (electric assisted) cargo bicycles, light electric freight vehicles (LEFV) and vehicles on alternative fuels.
  • Optimize shared transport facilities for goods through smart solutions.
  • Improved space management and urban planning focusing on the “new normal” after the Covid-19 pandemic considering how cities are optimising their planning and allocation of space.
  • Demonstrate and deploy economically viable and sustainable solutions driven by relevant technologies (e.g. real-time traffic information, space management, floating car data) and demonstrate the convenience of consolidation, consistent with the full planning of loading and unloading spaces, to deliver the services and the goods.
  • New or upgraded sustainable urban logistics plan that includes the main stakeholders (cities, logistics operators, couriers, postal services, real estate and/or retail industries) and addresses to a minimum: development of safe and sustainable logistics and delivery models in cities, low emission zones, data collection and usage, consolidation and space management, clean and alternative vehicles, stakeholders dialogue, e-commerce.

Scope:

How urban space is being used and allocated can influence congestion, noise, road risk, air quality, GHG emissions as well as liveability. At the same time there is a gap for purpose-oriented freight data collection in cities to support their decision making towards sustainability targets such as climate neutrality, air quality, road safety reducing congestion and better use of public space.

Proposals should consider dynamic space re-allocation for the integration of urban freight at local level and the impacts of how urban space is being used as well as the optimal mix of space distribution and of land uses. Proposals should analyse the potential of strategically positioned urban (or peri-urban) spaces to develop and implement a pilot demonstration, (but without interfering with parks, trees or other recreational green areas). The aim is to reduce the impact of freight transport and logistics on the urban fabric.

Projects could consider involving real estate companies, logistics service providers, together with cities, to develop sustainable business models for open and clean hubs/consolidation spaces in cities (for example using/sharing existing private locations such as underground private parking, office buildings and other potential available spaces in cities – while respecting security constraints).

A more efficient policymaking on urban freight logistics requires cities to enhance their data collection capabilities, while private logistics or e-commerce (like food delivery) companies and services should be encouraged to share data. Potential applications are Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs), including Low Emission Zones (LEZ), smart parking and dynamic space management and better traffic planning. A vast amount of transport data from different parts of the transport system currently remains unexploited. Understanding barriers and opportunities as well as developing local capacity related to data collection within the urban and peri-urban transport system is a first step to encourage private and public organisations to share transport data. Potential benefits of the data applications need to be checked on how they could support the optimization of sustainable mobility plans (SUMPs) and sustainable logistics plans (SULPs).

A thorough evaluation should provide qualitative and quantitative information on the results of the local solutions implemented. The effectiveness of the proposed measures in achieving local policy objectives should be evaluated and the possible barriers to their broad take up and deployment identified, together with recommendations on how to overcome them. This should be accompanied by mechanisms for common lesson drawing and learning, within the project, between the projects funded under this topic and through the CIVITAS Initiative.

Proposals may include preparatory, take up and replication actions, research activities, as well as tools to support local planning and policy making. A demonstrated contribution to the implementation of the cities’ Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans is expected. If not already in place, the city can develop a Sustainable Urban Logistics Plan or other appropriate planning instrument to manage urban freight and logistics. Funding for major infrastructure works is not eligible. Proposals should plan for an active collaboration within the CIVITAS initiative.

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Cross-cutting Priorities: Socio-economic science and humanities

[1]At least three living lab cities should be included as demonstrators of the innovative solutions and at least three follower cities. At least one of the living labs and follower cities should be located in areas experiencing rapid economic and social change.

[2]https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:b828d165-1c22-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF

[3]These patterns are data supported, by collecting and analysing freight data.

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Category: Funding Calls
Skill Level: Beginner

Specific Challenge:

The strategic long-term vision[1] published by the Commission for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy calls for a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The European Commission’s Green Deal[2] proposes a new growth strategy that aims to preserve the planet for future generations. It should serve as the compass to emerge from the present COVID-19 crisis and offers the opportunity to bounce forward and accelerate our progress towards meeting the EU climate change objectives. It sets an ambitious target of a 50%-55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Through its roadmap for action it outlines a long-term vision for the environment, involving all sectors of the economy, geared towards reaching the goal of climate neutrality.

While cities occupy only 2% of the planet’s landmass, they consume over 65% of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global man-made CO2 emissions. Currently 75% of European citizens live in cities and this percentage is expected to rise to 80% by 2050. Therefore, cities[3] must play a crucial role in helping Europe reach the targets of the Green Deal. The Commission will support their systemic transformation towards climate neutrality leveraging, in particular, technological, non-technological and social innovation and new AI-based solutions.

The challenge resides with achieving significant progress towards climate neutrality at a large (European) scale by fostering climate-neutrality and social innovation in cities. This means capitalising on existing research and innovation, valorising available knowledge in Europe, and using Green Deal-targeted social, financial, and technological innovation to co-create, test, and deploy systemic, integrated solutions, technologies, and incentive schemes with cities to tackle the largest sources of pollution in urban and metropolitan areas. It also implies designing incentives promoting investments such as green infrastructure into cities committed to climate neutrality and the Green Deal objectives. This will help test innovative solutions, technologies, and incentives to reach the scale that will make them attractive for industry economically, for citizens in terms of affordability, liveability, and inclusiveness, and for local authorities as concern effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of life. Testing these solutions and incentives will require listening to the needs of citizens and engaging cities to act. Framing the above-mentioned elements necessitates taking into account the consequences and long-lasting impacts on cities of the current health and economic crisis, affecting for example mobility, transportation, urban planning, digitisation, provision of services, etc. It requires triggering and supporting lasting changes in social, business, and administrative practices and in individual behaviours with clear impacts on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and other co-benefits that citizens, businesses and public authorities find desirable.

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[1] https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/strategies/2050_en

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/political-guidelines-next-commission_en.pdf

[3] For the purposes of this topic “cities” should be intended as either city district (neighbourhood or zone of special interest of a city administered or governed by some type of “district council”), a city represented by a government unit (e.g. municipality) or an urban area (conglomeration or a functional area composed of many neighbouring cities or government units, represented by the respective government units).

[4] E.g. Smart Cities Marketplace and its Matchmaking facility: https://eu-smartcities.eu

[5] https://www.covenantofmayors.eu




Category: Funding Calls
Skill Level: Beginner

JPI Urban Europe’s ERA-NET Cofund proposal on Urban Accessibility and Connectivity has been selected by the European Commission and in the context of this ERA-NET, a call for proposals will be launched in December 2019.

Category: Funding Calls
Skill Level: Beginner

Specific Challenge: Ensuring the seamless integration and harmonisation of transport modes is essential to achieve a truly integrated freight transport and logistics system, which on the one hand, is able to manage efficiently the physical, information and financial flows and on the other hand, support less impacting and environmental sustainable logistics operations . Speeding up technological and organisational innovation uptake and adoption will support freight transport decarbonisation and competitiveness. To this purpose, the assessment of progress, gaps and barriers is necessary. It is also key to involve and engage the end users of multimodal end-to-end freight transport chains, as they are both the recipients of innovation (autonomous transport, electrification, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain, robotic systems, further digitalisation, new transport modes, etc.) and the key actors  in charge of developing the business cases for new technologies uptake.

Category: Funding Calls
Skill Level: Beginner

Specific Challenge:  Europe's urban areas are struggling to develop themselves into well-connected multimodal and multi-usage nodes for smart and clean mobility. Multiple trends affect urban and inter-urban areas: urban growth, densification, digitalisation, increasing pressure from freight movements and a shift to a service-oriented economy. Moreover, many European cities and regions areas are committed to develop into zero-emission areas that are well connected with the TEN-T network.

New technologies and innovative measures are emerging, but they are not taken up at a scale that is necessary to meet our climate targets and European transport policy objectives. In many instances, the responsible authorities (often operating at different governance levels) cooperate with public and private stakeholders. But the full integration and implementation of new solutions lags behind because little information, data and tested, innovative solutions are available on their effectiveness and on how to overcome the barriers to successful implementation into older legacy systems and ageing infrastructures.

Scope: This topic is divided in 3 sub-topics


Category: Funding Calls
Skill Level: Beginner

Urban freight transport sustainability leaders

Category: PI Companies
Skill Level: Beginner

Innovative service to share multi-industrial and multi-distributor transport

Category: PI Companies
Skill Level: Beginner

CONTAI connected logistics solution handles central part of urban freight transport utilizing variety of vehicles from cargo bike to van and AMR mobile robot, including cargo unit loading from plain ground. Manned or unmanned towards the near-future Physical Internet.
CONTAI is a logistics system that allows the load units to be independently, even autonomously docked, loaded, lashed transported, unloaded and parked by multiple types of vehicles.

Category: PI Companies
Skill Level: Beginner

First on-the-way delivery network providing a new crowdshipping model.

The app-based community utilizes unused capacity in passenger vehicles, connecting people with stuff to send with drivers already heading in that direction. Simply put, Roadie is a faster, cheaper, friendlier way to get your goods, no matter its shape or size, from where it is to where it needs to be.

The Roadie app enables efficient, low-cost delivery for senders and rewards drivers for trips they were already taking, offering members of the community a variety of benefits including free roadside assistance, roadside discounts, and tax write-offs on miles they were already driving.

Roadie works with top retailers, airlines, and grocers to provide them with a faster, more efficient, and more scalable solution for same-day and last-mile deliveries nationwide. Since the launch in 2015, the company delivered everything from cupcakes to couches to customers in more than 9,000 cities nationwide — a larger footprint than Amazon Prime. 



Category: PI Companies
Skill Level: Beginner

Passive cooling transport units.

Etheclo is pioneer in passive cooling transport units that are boxes that  can be customized in dimensions, reused from 150 to 250 times and guarantees temperature compliancy up to 36 hours; each box has a unique GS1 barcode for optimal storage management and can be optionally equipped with an integrated temperature sensor that can be followed online in real-time. The passive aspect of the cooling unit can act as a lever to adopt new ways of realizing urban freight concepts however, also for sensitive goods. It certainly could be a solution to combine different kind of loads and to increase the load factor.



Category: PI Companies
Skill Level: Beginner

URBANE, or Upscaling Innovative Green Urban Logistics Solutions Through Multi-Actor Collaboration and PI-inspired Last Mile Deliveries, is a Horizon Europe project that started in September 2022 and will run until February 2026.

URBANE will support the transition path towards effective, resilient, safe and sustainable last-mile transport, through four Lighthouse Living Labs (LL) in Helsinki, Bologna, Valladolid and Thessaloniki.

A key component of the project is the replication of its results and lessons learned. This will facilitated by its URBANE Innovation Transferability Platform comprising Digital Twinning Tools, open models, smart contracts governed by blockchain technology and a data-driven Impact Assessment Radar. Two Twinning LLs will be undertaken in Barcelona and Karlsruhe, demonstrating their own solutions.

URBANE’s commitment to upscaling is further strengthened by the engagement of six early adopters (Follower Cities) in feasibility studies of the innovations’ adoption, thus stimulating the formulation of new LL communities across Europe.


Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

SHOW aims to support the deployment of shared, connected and electrified automation in urban transport, to advance sustainable urban mobility. During the project, real-life urban demonstrations taking place in 20 cities across Europe will see the integration of fleets of automated vehicles in public transport, demand-responsive transport (DRT), Mobility a Service (MaaS) and Logistics as a Service (LaaS) schemes.

SHOW aims to be the biggest and most holistic ever initiative piloting automated vehicles in urban environments. It gathers a strong partnership including 69 partners from 13 EU-countries and fosters international cooperation by collaborating with organisations from the US, South Korea, Australia, China, and other countries.


Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

FlexCURB is improving urban last-mile logistics by creating a planning platform and associated driver’s app to maximise use of curbside spaces. Curbside management refers to the techniques, and practices used to administrate curbside spaces in high-demand, multi-use areas. The app and platform will be tested in four living labs in Toulouse and Strasbourg in France, Leuven in The Netherlands, and Funchal, Portugal.  

The platform and app will help reduce traffic congestion caused by double-parking of delivery vehicles while improving efficiency in delivery times and trips, and potentially increase the revenues of delivery businesses. Effective use of the platform and app could also minimise conflicts with other curbside users including pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles. Freight providers can access valuable information regarding traffic flows and restrictions, parking and curb regulations and access to loading areas and times, while public sector partners can optimise underutilised spaces, and plan traffic and curbside regulations. 

Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

Corridor roads are under pressure. As the population and economy grow, mobility levels increase. Meanwhile, the demand for transport becomes increasingly diverse. These factors put the reliability of the network at risk both for passengers and freight, and call for a more efficient use of road space.

MORE will develop design concepts that encourage street activity and reduce traffic dominance by considering the needs of all road users.

MORE will explore experimental options such as flexible use of kerb space and dynamic allocation of road space to accommodate different functions.


Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

The VitalNodes CSA will build a lasting European network of key stakeholders based on existing European, national and regional networks. By enriching and applying a proven approach for the optimisation of economic, social and environmental vitality of urban areas from the perspective of multimodal transport infrastructure and spatial development (‘Networking for Urban Vitality’, NUVit). VitalNodes will deliver evidence-based recommendations for more (cost) efficient and sustainable integration of all 88 urban nodes in the TEN-T network corridors, addressing specifically the multi- and intermodal connection between long-distance and last-mile freight logistics. These recommendations will be validated by applying an appraisal tool and involving experts from the growing VitalNodes network.

VitalNodes will deliver three major results:
1. a self-sustaining ‘network of networks’ consisting of experts, end-users and case-owners;
2. a proven VitalNodes approach for future cases consisting of an enriched and fine-tuned toolbox, an appraisal methodology, and a format for workshops and deployment strategy;
3. validated recommendations on integration of urban nodes in TEN-T core network corridors.

Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

LEAD will create Digital Twins of urban logistics networks in six cities in TEN-T urban Nodes, namely Madrid (Spain), The Hague (the Netherlands), Budapest (Hungary), Lyon (France), Oslo (Norway) and Porto (Portugal).

These will test and represent different innovative solutions for city logistics to address the requirements of the on-demand economy, while aligning competing interests and creating value for all different stakeholders in a public-private setting.

Each value case will allow for the development of solutions for shared, connected, and low-emission logistics operations, empowered by an adaptive modelling approach and the Digital Twin models. Agent-based models will be used to enable logistics stakeholders to recognise their roles and business models, including relevant operational, tactical, and strategic decisions in the Digital Twin, mirroring value cases in city life.

The long-term vision of LEAD is to design an open, physical internet-inspired framework for smart city logistics that incorporates the created Digital Twins, laying the foundations for the development of large-scale city Digital Twins.


Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner

In this area you will find and overview of all projects included in the knowledge Platform and beyond. We have identified 200+ projects that are adressing specific aspects identified in ALICE Roadmaps!

Category: Projects
Skill Level: Beginner
Skill Level: Beginner

In 2017 the comprehensive view on the Physical Internet from the IPIC conference merged with the technical and intralogistic view from the Logistikwerkstatt Graz for a promising format. Both the IPIC and the Logistikwerkstatt Graz are well established international conferences with broad contribution from industry and research. The purpose of our fourth Physical Internet conference was to bring together all interested parties and continue sharing of ideas to further build foundations and momentum towards the emergence of efficient and sustainable interconnected logistics. The Institute of Logistics Engineering (ITL) at Graz University of Technology hosted this international event July 4-6, 2017 in Austria on its campus.

The conference included keynotes from key stakeholders of supply chains (manufacturers, retailers, 3PL and academics) and stimulated the discussions in several workshop sessions. New business models, enabling technologies and experimentations already underway were presented, making this meeting a unique opportunity to learn, network and discuss the latest results and challenges about interconnected logistics.

In this content area you will find all contributions made to IPIC 2017 in Graz www.pi.events/IPIC2017/

Skill Level: Beginner