URBANE (Upscaling Innovative Green Urban Logistics Solutions Through Multi-Actor Collaboration and Physical Internet (PI) – Inspired Last Mile Deliveries) is a 42-month project co-funded by the new Horizon Europe Programme (HEU) with a budget of around 9 million EUR. It aims to develop novel last-mile delivery solutions combining green automated vehicles and shared space utilisation models. Leading European cities, research experts and knowledge partners, solution providers for shared, connected, and automated operations, and industry leaders in logistics services kicked off the project in September 2022.
Why do we need innovative last-mile delivery solutions?
The e-commerce industry has seen continuous economic growth—a tendency that has been significantly bolstered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes with a vast transformation of the e-commerce sector, presenting enormous issues in urban supply chains. In this light, Europe urgently needs to identify and scale-up novel last-mile transportation solutions. At the same time, as e-commerce expands more quickly, so will the issue of sustainability become more and more crucial. The last mile of e-commerce deliveries is the portion of the delivery that produces the highest emissions, and more demand causes this. URBANE aims to tackle the negative trends associated with the pressure on last-mile deliveries. Its ambitions are in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, and the Green City Accord, towards the fast adoption of zero-emission urban logistics solutions by 2030, achieving improved efficiency of road transport and logistics systems.
How will URBANE contribute to Europe’s sustainable last-mile deliveries?
URBANE’s goals are part of the wider European Commission’s goals towards achieving “zero emission lastmile deliveries”’, as components of the European Green Digital Coalition and the European Climate Pact goals.
The project will support the transition path towards effective, resilient, safe, and sustainable last-mile transport, through four Lighthouse Living Labs (LLs): Helsinki (FI), Bologna (IT), Valladolid (ES), and Thessaloniki (GR), that will demonstrate efficient, replicable, and socially acceptable innovative last-mile delivery solutions (Wave 1 solutions), building on existing assets.
Hands-on lesson learning at the European level will be primarily facilitated by an Innovation Transferability Platform comprising Digital Twinning Tools, open models, smart contracts governed by blockchain technology, and a data-driven Impact Assessment Radar that will enable the adaptation and replication of Wave 1 solutions in two Twinning LLs in Barcelona and Karlsruhe (Wave 2 LLs), demonstrating their solutions within the course of the project.
URBANE’s commitment to upscaling is further strengthened by the engagement of six early adopters (Follower Cities – Aarhus (DK), Antwerp (NL), La Rochelle (FR), Mechelen (BE), Prague (CZ), and Ravenna (IT)) in innovations’ adoption feasibility studies, thus stimulating the formulation of new Living Lab communities across Europe.
What else?
URBANE has participated in Urban Mobility Days 2022 in Brno! The project had the chance to discuss and exchange opinions with other projects working on relevant research areas.
The Consortium met again in October in Athens for an interactive workshop among all partners!
Who is part of the URBANE project?
The consortium comprises 39 partners and an external partner from 12 different EU Member States, led by INLECOM, a leading digital innovation provider, responsible for the twinning infrastructure and open models’ library of the project.
The URBANE consortium includes:
- City Stakeholders & Urban Planners: COBO, KARL, VALLAD, HELS (with their affiliated entity FVH), ITL, RCM, AMB, RAV, MECH, AAKS, PRAHA, ANTW, CDA
- Last-mile Logistics Value Chain Operators: VAN, DBSCH, ACS, TYP, DTS
- Physical Innovation Providers: SOBEN, LMAD, EUDRIVE, IFEVS
- Sector Associations and Impact Strengthening Partners: ALICE, AENET, EITUM, POLIS
- Business innovation consultancies: FIT, TRV
- Research organisations: KLU, NORCE, TUD, UOC, CERTH, CIDAUT, SKEMA
- Innovative ICT solution providers: KON, GEL, VLTN
Contacts:
Project Coordinator: Ioanna Fergadiotou [email protected]
Project Manager: Maria Kampa [email protected]
Communication, Dissemination, and Upscaling Manager: Antonios Tsiligiannis [email protected]
