The New Solutions in City Logistics project developed smoother and more sustainable city logistics in collaboration with companies in Turku, Tampere and Helsinki. The project involved elements such as piloting light delivery vehicles and local distribution stations, new applications that facilitate city logistics and autonomous, i.e. self-driving, delivery vehicles. The project was contributed to by approximately one hundred companies.
Results of the New Solutions in City Logistics project
- In Turku, the project piloted CityHUB local distribution stations at Puutori market square and in Kupittaa. The local distribution stations serve as interim storage facilities in city centres, to which packages are transported by heavy vehicles and from where they are delivered to recipients using light vehicles. The Puutori CityHUB will continue to operate with the current project partners – DHL Express Finland and the Prisma Kauppakassi service of Turun Osuuskauppa – at least until the end of 2021.
- The project also carried out other pilots in Turku, including one focusing on the monitoring of delivery unloading locations, and saw the creation of a map application by Tietorahti, which collects so-called silent knowledge for distribution traffic operators. Fiuge Oy introduced a crowdsourcing application in Turku, with which anyone could deliver packages during their everyday travel. With KPMG and Turku’s 6Aika coordination, the project also developed a tool for monitoring the costs and benefits of development projects.
- In Tampere, the project focused the development of drone distribution and related pilots. The project conducted a review of legislation governing drone logistics and created a process that will make it easier for operators to apply for permits for drone transportation in the future. (For more information on permits, please visit Traficom’s droneinfo.fi website)
- In Helsinki, the project organised the collection of information on entrances to buildings to facilitate the work of transport companies. The information was collected using the Open Logistics Map (OLMap) developed by Forum Virium Helsinki and made available to everyone via the Open Street Map. In addition to this, the project developed the Gatesolve tool for finding the exact locations of entrances.
Development will continue in Forum Virium Helsinki and TIEKE ry’s Logistiikan saavutettavuusdata (‘Logistics Accessibility Data’) project, which is funded by the City of Helsinki Innovation Fund. - In Helsinki, the project also developed a platform for restaurant food deliveries. The project also piloted local distribution using electric cargo bicycles and electric scooters. In addition to this, at shopping centre REDI the project piloted a robot courier that delivers groceries to customers living in the high-rise next to the shopping centre.
The main goal of the New Solutions in City Logistics project was to make city logistics smoother and more efficient in collaboration with companies in the logistics sector and companies that use logistics services. The project ran from 1 August 2018 to 31 December 2020. The project was coordinated by the City of Turku, with the other project partners being Forum Virium Helsinki, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Valonia/the Regional Council of Southwest Finland. The project had a total budget of approximately EUR 1.3 million.
Further information:
Jere Lumikko
Project Manager
City of Turku
jere.lumikko(at)turku.fi
Jari Hietaranta
Project Manager
Turku University of Applied Sciences
jari.hietaranta(at)turkuamk.fi
Mika Nikander
Project Manager
Tampere University of Applied Sciences
mika.nikander(at)tuni.fi
Raimo Tengvall
Project Manager
Forum Virium Helsinki
raimo.tengvall(at)forumvirium.fi
Paula Väisänen
Project Manager
Valonia
paula.vaisanen(at)valonia.fi