Boosting impact generation from research and innovation on integrated freight transport and Logistics system

Project Information

BOOSTLOG

Grant agreement ID: 101006902

DOI

10.3030/101006902

Project closed

EC signature date 23 October 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 999 967,50

EU contribution

€ 999 967,50

Coordinated by

ALLIANCE FOR LOGISTICS INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION IN EUROPE
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BOOSTLOG (Boosting impact generation from research and innovation on integrated freight transport and Logistics system)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BOOSTLOG Vision is transforming European freight transport and logistics R&I ecosystem to perform optimally boosting impact generation out of R&I investment contributing to EU policy objectives towards climate neutrality, pollution, congestion and noise reduction, free movement of goods, internal security, digital transformation of logistics chains and data sharing logistics ecosystems and supports companies’ sustainability and competitiveness generating value for society. In order to do so, BOOSTLOG focuses on 4 main objectives/areas of action:
1. Increase visibility and support valorisation of R&I project Results, Outcomes and Implementation Cases in the freight transport and logistics field.
2. Overcome barriers for R&D deployment, identify and define valorisation strategies and guidelines to speed up the technological and organisational innovation uptake, including the creation of the Innovation Marketplace within ALICE knowledge platform, examine which areas of research have achieved higher impact and issue recommendations to increase impact of R&I public funding;
3. Identify and define high potential & priority R&I gaps to make efficient uses of R&I investments and provides recommendations to funding organizations (e.g. European Commission);
4. Boost impact of the project outputs towards end users of the freight transport and logistics system, establishing collaboration frameworks for the exchange of best practices in freight transport and logistics R&I at regional, national, European level, engaging with relevant stakeholders in the innovation process.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the 36 months, the project has carried out comprehensive studies into several key topics in logistics for developing ‘Cloud’ reports, identified priorities and needs for future R&I projects. The project has published cloud reports on 8 important topics of logistics respectively: 1) Logistics coordination and collaboration; 2) Urban logistics; 3) Logistics nodes; 4) Logistics network; 5) Freight and logistics data sharing; 6) Physical Internet; 7) Efficient and zero emission freight transport; 8) Digital technologies. ALICE Innovation Awards have been created to acknowledge achievements of those R&I project consortium members who have successful implemented R&I projects. All the awards have been presented at the BOOSTLOG final conference, in addition to virtual launch events of each cloud report.

The project has identified barriers that prevent implementation of R&I project outcomes. Based on identified barriers, positive frameworks aiming to advance such implementation have been proposed. The barriers and positive frameworks have been used to develop valorisation strategies for various stakeholders. Valorisation strategy for ALICE has included key requirements for an Innovation Marketplace which has been launched in June 2022 (M18). The Innovation Marketplace, aiming connecting innovation providers and buyers (implementers), is a key instrument to boost impact generation of R&I projects. ALICE will continue to maintain the marketplace as part of the ALICE Knowledge Platform.
The project has conducted two comprehensive surveys and two workshops to collect inputs on identifying priorities for logistics innovation and develop recommendations for policy makers. Recommendations for future R&D activities have been developed to address current challenges and gaps in R&I identified.

The project successfully engaged with all stakeholder groups identified by the consortium, reached out a wider range of stakeholders including those who are less familiar with EU funding on R&I. The project has raised awareness the importance of generating impacts of R&I projects in the logistics innovation community. The project has organised 5 virtual events and 4 in-person events which have been participated by all types of stakeholders. The project was presented at several international conferences, e.g. TRA2022, and International Physical Internet Conference (IPIC) 2023. The project has used ALICE communication channels and networks as well consortium members’ networks to disseminate project activities, e.g. call for implementation cases and ALICE Innovation Awards. The project has published 8 press releases, and other dissemination materials such as leaflet, brochure and poster. The project is a founder of the Task Force on Accelerating Innovation Uptake for Sustainable Transport and together with other CSA, jointly launched Call for Action. Additional information on the project, reports and deliverables are available via the project webpage: https://www.etp-logistics.eu/boostlog/ and ALICE Knowledge Platform.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has mapped R&I projects since FP5 using various data sources, e.g. CORDIS and H2020 Results Platform. Detailed Mapping of EU funded Research Projects, providing basic information of previous and ongoing R&I projects, such as funding schemes, consortium members, objectives, key outcomes etc. By the end of the project, in total of 390 EU and funded projects and some regional/national funded projects have been mapped out by BOOSTLOG. The mapped projects have been the base for development of comprehensive and industry actionable reports (logistics cloud reports). 8 Cloud Reports have been developed: Coordination and Collaboration; Urban Logistics; Logistics Nodes; Freight and logistics data sharing; Multimodal freight, corridors & transport networks; Physical Internet including Modularization and Transhipment technologies; Transition to zero emissions energies and vehicles for transport and logistics; Digital technologies and applications for logistics.

While mapping R&I projects and assessing outcomes of the projects, barriers have been assessed and based on the barriers, positive frameworks to advance implementation of project outcomes have been proposed. BOOSTLOG has assessed impacts of EU funding on the logistics and identified actins needed to advance implementation of project outcomes. BOOSTLOG has defined valorisation strategies and guidelines for various stakeholders. The valorisation strategies have recommended implementation of a dedicated Innovation Marketplace to make project outcomes more accessible and easy to understand by industry stakeholders. The Innovation marketplace has been launched as a new feature to ALICE Knowledge Platform (KP). All implementation cases identified by the cloud reports are available on the Innovation Marketplace. Functional features of the marketplace will be operated and improved by ALICE after BOOSTLOG to ensure that innovative solutions developed by R&I projects will be available to a wide range of stakeholders.

The project has carried out surveys and organised workshops to identify gaps in R&I, enabling technologies, market and social trends. BOOSTLOG has recommended 6 areas for R&I for work programme 2025/2026 addressing the identified gaps: The role of logistics in the circular economy; Unlocking sustainable user centric mobility; Logistics network design for resilience; Implications and adjustments based on the increasing automation of logistics operations; Real-time and decentralized data sharing along supply chains across different domains; Dynamic, Eco-Based, Last-Mile Control Systems.

BOOSTLOG in a nutshell: Summary of the project

Concepts, tools, application fields and sectors to build a truly integrated transport system