Alice
Logistop is the strategic partner of reference of the European technological platform ALICE in Spain, with which it maintains an active and close collaboration, both in projects and in access to the inside of its association, its members and to the trends and projects that are developed at European level. Through Logistop, our partners will have access to information, calls for proposals and publications, among other materials provided by ALICE, selected especially for them based on our working groups and topics of interest.
ALICE, Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe
The European Technology Platform ALICE develops a comprehensive strategy for research, innovation and market deployment of logistics and supply chain management innovation in Europe. ALICE supports, assists and advises the European Commission into the implementation of the EU Program for reseach: Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe in the area of Logistics.
ALICE was officially recognised as a European Technology Platform by the European Commission in July 2013.
ALICE is based on the recognition of the need for a holistic view of logistics and supply chain planning and control, in which carriers, infrastructure managers, logistics service
providers and shippers work closely together to achieve efficiency in logistics and supply chain operations with the support and coordination of academia and governments at different levels (cities, regions, countries and the European Union). ALICE has relationships with all stakeholders operating in the logistics sector, and its vision is to be the leading logistics and supply chain think tank and knowledge management organisation in Europe.
The future of logistics: towards zero-emission logistics
ALICE, being aware of the enormous challenges and the profound transformation that freight transport and logistics require if we are to meet climate targets and maintain our standard of living, has developed the Roadmap “Towards Zero Emission Logistics in 2050“.
ALICE developed the roadmap “Towards Zero Emissions Logistics 2050, which clearly sets out the challenge and direction, aims to make the journey towards decarbonisation more practical for business and affordable for society, and to clarify what role governments, research and development institutes and civil society will play in making this happen. In the short term, it aims to seize and find new opportunities to improve the efficiency of freight transport and logistics in a transition environment of transport vehicles and assets using alternative energies, which will entail a paradigm shift and need for adaptation of logistics processes.
Nowadays, the focus is on making fleets and assets energy efficient and using the lowest possible emission energy sources.
In addition, there will need to be more focus on managing freight demand growth, on modes of transport that are used and combined in a smart way, and on fleets and assets that are shared and used to the maximum extent possible, making transport more efficient. These elements are described in detail in the roadmap to the Physical Internet.
Alice’s Activities
strategies
Define research and innovation strategies, roadmaps and priorities agreed by all stakeholders to achieve the ETP on Logistics vision. These items will assist the European Commission in the definition of Research and Innovation Programs, i.e. HORIZON 2020
New technologies
Raise the profile and understanding of new logistics technologies and business processes, monitoring progress and adjusting research and innovation roadmaps.
innovation
Foster innovation in logistics and the supply chain, encouraging and accelerating the uptake of innovation to enable the growth of the European economy through competitive and sustainable logistics.
Contribute
Contribute to a better alignment and coordination of European, national and regional logistics innovation programmes.
Research collaboration
Provide a network for interdisciplinary collaborative research involving industry, academia and public institutions.
Themes
ALICE, under the leadership of the Sustainable Logistics Supply Chains Thematic Group, published at the end of 2019 the “Roadmap to Zero Emissions Logistics 2050” as part of its renewed strategy.
The current focus of this group is to ensure that fleets and assets use the lowest possible emission energy source.
Furthermore, in 2014, this working group presented a research and innovation roadmap on “Sustainable, Safe and Secure Supply Chains” with the forecast of an evolution towards fully integrated supply networks, in which logistics service providers, shippers and authorities will have to cooperate closely.
La ambición de este Roadmap es la consecución de servicios de transporte co-modal en toda la Unión Europea dentro de una red bien sincronizada, inteligente y sin fisuras, apoyada por corredores y centros de distribución que proporcionen el apoyo óptimo a las cadenas de suministro.
Esto supone un cambio de rumbo del sistema actual hacia la visión final de Physical Internet, a través de la sincronización de los servicios intermodales con diferentes velocidades y plazos de entrega (sincromodalidad), la alineación de los equipos y servicios en corredores y hubs y la integración de estos en las redes.
The objective of this thematic group is to define research and innovation paths to be addressed in order to achieve real-time (re)configurable supply chains in (global) supply chain networks with ICT solutions available and affordable for all types of companies and participants. Ultimately, this is a requirement for enabling the Physical Internet.
The main topics covered in this working group are: low-intrusive security technologies, supply chain resilience, advanced supply chain risk management, systems-based monitoring, coordinated border management, end-to-end supply chain visibility, seamless data interoperability, ownership and governance, smart objects, smart devices, IoT and ITS, Big Data and Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain applications to logistics, dematerialisation, autonomous logistics operations, transhipment technology and logistics unit handling.
The Global Supply Network Coordination and Collaboration Working Group manages coordination and collaboration between stakeholders in global supply networks. This can deliver significant gains in terms of both efficiency and sustainability and represents a major step towards the physical Internet, leading the transition from individually managed supply chains to open supply networks.
The objective of this group is to identify research priorities linked to urban freight transport and logistics in order to improve their efficiency, sustainability and safety.
In addition, it will contribute to the definition of research programmes geared towards the main actors in the sector (cities, industry, retail, courier and parcel companies, logistics service providers). It will also support and promote the implementation of Research and Innovation projects and initiatives that contribute to the vision and objectives of its Roadmap
Its scope is urban freight transport, including all movements of goods to, from, through or within the urban area by light or heavy goods vehicles.
Projects
ALICE has a dual orientation in the involvement of concrete projects that complement the general activities in the different themes.
ALICE participates in R&D&I projects that aim to define roadmaps, analyse progress and facilitate access to results and resources from previous R&D projects. In this line, ALICE participates in two H2020 project consortia:
In addition, ALICE is following and monitoring other relevant research and innovation projects in the field of logistics to assess the implementation of their Roadmaps, identify new gaps and prepare recommendations for future European Commission research and innovation programmes and calls for projects. Currently, more than 40 projects are associated with ALICE, which means that they have a mission to implement their roadmaps and a commitment to share and discuss their results in the ALICE framework.
ALICE is also willing to support the dissemination and outreach of projects and results relevant to the logistics industry in order to increase the impact of research and innovation in the market.