LEAD will create Digital Twins of urban logistics networks in six cities, to support experimentation and decision making with on-demand logistics operations in a public-private urban setting. Innovative solutions for city logistics will be represented by a set of value case scenarios, that address the requirements of the on-demand economy while aligning competing interests and creating value for all different stakeholders. Each value case will combine a number of measures (LEAD Strategies): a) innovative business models, b) agile urban freight storage and last-mile distribution schemes, c) low emission, automated, electric or hybrid delivery vehicles, and d) smart logistics solutions. Scenarios will incorporate opportunities for shared, connected and low-emission logistics operations by considering four innovation drivers: Sustainability - Zero Emission Logistics, the Sharing Economy, Technology Advancements and the emerging Physical Internet (PI) paradigm. Cost, environmental and operational efficiencies for value cases will be measured in 6 Living Labs (Madrid, The Hague, Budapest, Lyon, Oslo, Porto). Evidence-proven value cases and associated logistics solutions will be delivered in the form of exploitable Digital Twins (TRL-7), incorporating the models that support adaptation to different contexts and that provide incentives for PPPs. The long-term vision of LEAD is to design an Open PI-inspired framework for Smart City Logistics that incorporates the Digital Twins created in the project, thus setting the foundations for the development of large-scale city Digital Twins. The LEAD consortium comprises 22 partners, all of whom are involved in the Living Labs, supported by 5 international partners for knowledge transfer. This incentivises the co-creation of solutions by city authorities, logistics industry leaders, start-ups and research experts in freight modelling, complex simulation and logistics optimisation.

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.