U-TURN creates new paths for food
- Simulation and Logistics Engineering
Background
75% of the European population currently lives in urban areas. This proportion will continue to rise in the coming years. Taking into account current trends such as online shopping and home delivery, this development represents a major challenge for traditional food logistics. In addition, the transportation of food has a significant impact on the environmental and sustainability aspects of cities.
The aim of the U-TURN project is to make the distribution of food in urban areas more efficient from an ecological, economic and social point of view.
Approach
Existing flows of goods are analyzed, taking into account the special requirements of urban areas in terms of logistics. Synergies in the delivery routes of the service providers are identified and cooperation potentials are assessed on the basis of their logistics concept.
Based on an analysis of current market data, efficient strategies and intelligent tools are being developed as part of three pilot projects in order to identify and exploit consolidation potential. The first pilot in Athens involves the bundling of food and FMCG articles in urban areas. Various cooperation scenarios in distribution, such as the use of urban consolidation centers (UCCs), are being investigated with the help of simulation. The subject of the second pilot project is the supply of customers and stores in Milan with regional food from the region. The third pilot project analyzes the current market situation in online food retailing in the UK, using London as an example.
Intended results
U-TURN demonstrates the economic and social benefits of cooperation along the supply chain and develops tools to establish future partnerships within transport networks and manage joint transportation volumes. These include an online platform for the efficient bundling of goods flows and the implementation of modules for urban goods distribution in the supply chain simulation.
Contact person:Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen
Funding and partners
The project is funded by the Horizon2020 research program of the EU.
