- Co-creation and participation in working groups, the main tools for the development of Urban Distribution of Goods.
- Collaboration between private and public actors, key to the advancement and improvement of Urban Distribution of Goods.
- How to deal with the existing mistrust when it comes to sharing data and information?
Urban Distribution of Goods is constantly changing and volumes are growing exponentially. However, urban space is limited and the need to preserve the environment while maintaining a socio-economic balance is more crucial than ever.
In view of this, Logistop has organised the Webinar “Planning and collaborating to improve Urban Freight Distribution” in which we have seen how, through specific planning tools and public-private collaboration, administrations can have control over the exponential growth of the sector and its impacts, as well as guaranteeing professionals to work in a framework that favours competitive and sustainable urban logistics.
We have counted with the participation of Antoine Radal, expert of the Urban Logistics Working Group of Logistop and DUM specialist consultant at Interface Transport, Juan Manuel Corchado Rodríguez, president of AIR Institute, Enrique Onieva, professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Deusto and coordinator and main researcher of LOGISTAR, Ruth Lamas Borraz, head of the Metropolitan Bicycle Office of the Metropolitan Bicycle Office and technical coordinator of the Metropolitan Bicycle Office of LOGISTAR, professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Deusto and coordinator and main researcher of LOGISTAR, Ruth Lamas Borraz, head of the Metropolitan Bicycle Office and technical coordinator of Red de Ciudades por la Bicicleta (RCxB) and the moderation of Tomás de la Vega, managing director of Logistop.
Antoine Radal firstly referred to the speed at which changes and advances are taking place in the field of urban logistics, highlighting the importance of not losing efficiency in deliveries and, above all, minimising environmental impact and optimising the use of available public space through sustainable growth. All of this, based on the importance of building collaborative strategies between private and public actors through co-creation and working groups such as those being developed within the scope of Logistop.
“Building collaborative strategies between private and public actors through co-creation and working groups such as those being developed within the scope of Logistop is the best tool to cope with the changing developments in urban logistics”.
Antoine Radal
In turn, Juan Manuel Corchado, based on the projects that AIR Institute is working on, also highlighted the importance of establishing synergies between all the players at a time when home delivery is immersed in a whirlwind of growth, despite the mistrust that may exist when it comes to sharing certain data and information with competitors in the sector. The way to address this mistrust has to be to demonstrate that collaboration is the best way to offer a better product, as well as to save time for the parties involved.
“Establishing synergies between all players, despite the mistrust that may exist when it comes to sharing certain data and information with competitors in the sector, is a key aspect to face the boom in home delivery”.
Juan Manuel Corchado
Enrique Onieva then presented a specific case of collaborative logistics optimisation developed within the framework of the Logistar project. A project in which, making use of the available data provided by companies participating in the supply chain and from different sectors, provides stakeholders with solutions based on intelligent algorithms. Agreeing that it is necessary to find the most suitable way to overcome the reluctance of companies to share their data, transmitting them the guarantee that it is private and not visible, as well as emphasising the existing problem of the different policies, indicators or preferences determined by each actor involved.
“It is necessary to find the most suitable way to overcome the reluctance of companies to share their data, transmitting the guarantee that it is private and not visible.
Enrique Onieva
Finally, Ruth Lamas gave us the point of view of the public administration, who are aware of their commitment to getting involved in the urban distribution of goods in order to meet the sustainability challenges posed by the climate emergency in which we live. In this line, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, in the framework of its Metropolitan Plan for Urban Mobility, included urban distribution as a specific work axis with its own actions for the first time, highlighting the importance of incorporating cycling into the dynamics of these actions and spaces. It also pointed to collaboration as the way to achieve the challenges posed.
“The public administration is aware of the commitment they have to get involved in the urban distribution of goods in order to meet the environmental sustainability challenges that the climate emergency in which we live represents”.
Ruth Lamas
Logistop is the leading workspace for collective innovation through the realisation of projects hand in hand with our members. Transforming the entire supply chain into a more efficient and sustainable one. All of this with the objective of articulating and carrying out innovation projects between members, without excluding the possibility of collaborating with or receiving support from certain organisations external to Logistop.
In the Urban Logistics Working Group we discussed the optimisation and efficiency of operations, the total transformation of delivery modes, the use of proximity warehousing and the active collaboration between municipalities, public and private companies and the use of technology, the main challenges that urban logistics must face.