Smart Network Operator Platform enabling Shared, Integrated and more Sustainable Urban Freight Logistics

Project Information

SENATOR

Grant agreement ID: 861540

DOI

10.3030/861540

Project closed

EC signature date 28 April 2020

Start date 1 September 2020

End date 28 February 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 3 927 121,26

EU contribution

€ 3 927 121,25

Coordinated by

SOCIEDAD ESTATAL CORREOS Y TELEGRAFOS SA SME
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SENATOR (Smart Network Operator Platform enabling Shared, Integrated and more Sustainable Urban Freight Logistics)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EU faces the need for sustainable urban development due to the expected demographic evolution of cities. Currently, about 75% of the EU population live in urban areas, and this is expected to grow by 2030. Last mile deliveries cost up to EUR 70 billion and are expected to grow 7-10% in the coming years. Urban freight contributes to 25% of CO2 emissions and 30 to 50% of pollutants due to traffic flow inefficiency, congestion, and increasing demand. Urban freight companies are diverse, dispersed and often unconnected with urban planners or each other, leading to overlapping delivery networks. Consumer trends towards shared services, e-commerce and better environmental conditions call for new approaches to optimise this part of the supply chain.
SENATOR project proposes layered urban planning, to address the needs of all stakeholders in the supply chain: citizens (demand generators); transport modes; operational logistics; urban infrastructure owners. It offers 4 governance schemes for urban planning: User demand planning, Transport planning, Freight & Logistics planning and City infrastructure planning, within one multi-collaborative framework based on a new urban logistics model. This will enhance urban governance by considering: citizen empowerment; integration of new sustainable transport modes; efficient logistics through digitalisation; urban space management.
SENATOR aims to develop a smart network operator supported by an ICT Platform for integrated logistics operation. This will optimise freight delivery services in urban areas byreducing the number and distance of delivery routes through real-time information, AI-based predictions & planning , shared-connected freight delivery services & collection points and integrating all delivery requirements into urban planning.

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

The main result is the SENATOR ICT platform that integrates services, data acquisition, messaging systems and monitoring tools for real-time logistics. 4 modules have been developed: 1) On-demand Platform manager (OPM) for freight status and collection points 2) Multimodal Fleet Manager (MFM) for availability and capacity 3) Smart Routes Manager (SRM) for route and demand management 4) Diagnosis of Urban Infrastructure (DUI) for parking and traffic regulations.
The OPM module help users to visualize and manage daily shipments, This includes from shipments, to delivery routes and vehicle sensorization through GIS-based visualization. The MFM provides operators with information on available resources like depots, vehicles and pedestrian routes. The SRM monitors planned and ongoing routes, enabling dynamic re-planning during incidents. The DUI module condenses information on traffic policies and municipal regulations, sharing data through anonymisation and aggregation processes. Environmental data and traffic information are integrated into the platform.
The functionalities validated in two pilots are documented in deliverables D5.6 and D5.8.
The project faced challenges in standardizing, anonymizing and integrating data from different operators. Successful implementation requires public-private collaboration and bilateral agreements between companies on technological capabilities, shipment types and operational processes.
A design catalogue for Zaragoza and Dublin (D4.6) includes guidelines for sustainable urban logistics, focusing on streets, intersections, lanes, and parking areas. It covers cargo handling, logistics hubs, parking spaces, anti-parking systems and low-emission vehicles like cargo bikes. Design guidelines for micro consolidation centres were produced for both cities.
The logistics market demands optimisation of urban delivery services and digital platforms for agile management. This led to the development of a new training strategy based on SENATOR platform results, defining new skills and capabilities for urban logistics professionals (D7.11).
Collaboration with other H2020 projects included participation in the CIVITAS Forum, Urban Logistics Workshop, Urban Logistics Innovation Day, and UlaaDS project final conference.
SENATOR public deliverables and information were disseminated on the project website (www.senatorproject.eu) and social media.

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 SENATOR Project has resulted in four Key Exploitable Results (KER):
KER1: Operational logistics planning tool. The SENATOR Platform allows logistics operators to plan daily deployment of vehicles and delivery staff based on optimised routings and enables collaboration among different operators.
KER 2: Strategic planning tool/transport model for urban logistics. The Platform allows operators to test new strategies or regulatory impacts before street-level implementation.
KER3: Route training tool for urban logistics. The Platform could train delivery staff on optimal routes, both in advance and during deliveries.
KER 4: Key policy lessons on collaboration. The project highlighted commercial and legal barriers in collaborative logistics approaches.
In Zaragoza ULL, results showed greater operational efficiency, influence on local policies and Advancements in Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULPs). The pilot’s continuity beyond the project framework integrates its results into city's logistics planning.
In Dublin ULL the trial revealed the necessity of public authority involvement for effective implementation of Urban Consolidation Centres (UCCs) and micro-hubs. The project was recognized under National Pathfinder Programme and contributed to the National Demand Management Strategy. The Dublin pilot advanced Kerbside management discussions and external stakeholders and supported the development of the SULP for Dublin.
Based on initial results, the theoretical benefit of SENATOR for a city of 1.5 million target market size would be €31.5 million per annum. However, SENATOR Ltd might secure only a small proportion of these benefits due to the intangible link between platform use and benefits. Each license could be valued at €63,000 per annum. The Business Plan suggests an operating loss in the first three years with profits in years 4 and 5. Seed funding of €0.5 million would be required to remain solvent initially.

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