Gathering 31 partners from 10 different countries, DECARBOMILE aims to trigger an unprecedented improvement of the green last mile logistics in Europe. To reach that goal, DECARBOMILE relies on a strong experience of decarbonating urban logistics through European initiatives such as CIVITAS. Partners will build upon all previous results to develop improved delivery methods, tools and methodologies, and implement them across Europe. The solutions developed in DECARBOMILE will demonstrate the full potential of decarbonised last mile logistics in four living labs (in Logrono - Spain, Nantes -France, Hamburg - Germany and Istanbul - Turkey) and 4 satellites (Tallinn - Estonia, Getafe - Spain, Ghent - Belgium and Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina) will be involved at a smaller scale to test and study the solution in their own local contexts. To be successful in its implementation, DECARBOMILE will rely on developed methodologies to implement the new solutions and delivery methods in collaboration with all relevant local stakeholders, based on their needs and behaviours. The relation with and between stakeholders will be facilitated by the creation of a collaborative urban consolidation logistics framework that will include a digital platform, methodologies for collaboration, and ICT and IoT tools. This common framework, along with tailored innovative business models and recommendations on local policies, will allow for a strong collaboration during the project, allow to learn more about the end-users’ needs and behaviours. The delivery methods will be strongly improved with urban consolidation centres, micro urban consolidation centres including smart lockers, innovations on cargo bikes and how they can be used with load pooling for instance, electric barge and more. The goal is to use and improve existing solutions and allow their interoperability and modularity to improve their efficiency and use their complementarity.

ePIcenter will create an interoperable cloud-based ecosystem of user-friendly extensible Artificial Intelligence-based logistics software solutions and supporting methodologies that will enable all players in global trade and international authorities to co-operate with ports, logistics companies and shippers, and to react in an agile way to volatile political and market changes and to major climate shifts impacting traditional freight routes. This will address the ever-increasing expectations of 21st century consumers for cheaper and more readily available goods and bring in Innovations in transport, such as hyperloops, autonomous/robotic systems (e.g. “T-pods”) and new last-mile solutions as well as technological initiatives such as blockchain, increased digitalisation, single windows, EGNOS positional precision and the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme. ePIcenter thus addresses MG-2-9-2019 of H2020 Mobility for Growth “InCo Flagship on Integrated multimodal, low-emission freight transport systems and logistics”, particularly in what refers to new logistics concepts, new disruptive technologies, new trade routes (including arctic routes and new Silk routes) and multimodal transfer zones. ePIcenter will speed up the path to a Physical Internet and will benefit peripheral regions and landlocked developing countries. ePIcenter will reduce fuel usage (and corresponding emissions) by 10-25%, lead to greater utilisation of greener modes of transport reducing long distance movements by trucks by 20-25% and ensure a smoother profile of arrivals at ports which will reduce congestion and waiting/turnaround times.