Future Proof Smart Logistics
The logistics sector in the Netherlands is a vital economic pillar, employing over 673,000 people and contributing €65 billion annually. However, the sector faces pressing challenges, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring supply chain resilience amidst disruptions, and overcoming infrastructure and workforce shortages. With freight transport projected to grow by 20% by 2030, these challenges require a shift from isolated logistics operations to collaborative, connected logistics networks. Upcoming policy measures, including kilometre chargers, CO2 caps, the Emissions Trading Scheme, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, add urgency to this transition.
A promising framework for addressing these challenges is the Physical Internet (PI), which envisions a transformative shift in logistics systems. The PI concept aims to “do more with less” by enabling the sharing of assets within the freight and transport industries. This involves transitioning from the isolated scheduling of proprietary assets to the collaborative scheduling of shared resources in open, connected logistics networks.
This project is part of TNO’s Early Research Program on Future-Proof Smart Logistics. It aims to contribute to the realisation of the PI concept by developing advanced machine learning-based decentralised decision-making algorithms. These algorithms will enable logistics companies to collaborate effectively and optimise operational scheduling across multi-actor systems, ensuring sustainability and efficiency at both company and system levels.
