DISCO webinars spotlight innovations in data and performance measurement

The DISCO project recently hosted two insightful webinars showcasing how data-driven innovation is transforming urban logistics to support more sustainable, efficient cities across Europe.

From Theory to Practice: Demonstrating the Urban Freight Data Space
On 5 November 2024, the webinar “From Theory to Practice: Demonstration and Planned Development of the DISCO Urban Freight Data Space (UFDS)” explored the potential of data spaces to revolutionise urban freight systems. Focusing on key principles such as interoperability, data sovereignty, and secure collaboration, the session highlighted how data spaces lie at the heart of DISCO’s vision for modern logistics.

A live demonstration featured outputs from the DISCO Living Labs in Copenhagen, Ghent, and Thessaloniki, as well as a showcase of the Geodata Visualizer App, which enables real-time data analysis. Participants discovered how UFDS supports scalable, adaptable data ecosystems and dynamic urban space management. Looking ahead, future developments include enhanced security features, enriched datasets, and expanded collaboration through metadata brokers and vocabulary hubs. Rooted in a Physical Internet (PI) approach, the UFDS aims to help meet the EU’s 2030 climate targets by advancing cleaner, smarter logistics solutions.

Measuring Impact: The DISCO KPI Framework
Two weeks later, on 19 November 2024, the second webinar, “Key Performance Indicators Framework – The Experience of the DISCO Project”, delved into the crucial role of KPIs in evaluating and improving sustainable urban logistics.

Presentations by the Institute for Transport and Logistics (ITL), Lindholmen Science Park (LSP), and the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) provided a deep dive into the development and application of the KPI framework across the DISCO Living Labs. Key topics included aligning KPIs with sustainability objectives, selecting relevant indicators, and integrating logistics data with urban freight planning, as demonstrated by the Thessaloniki Living Lab. A live demonstration of the DISCO KPI dashboard illustrated its practical use in assessing logistics performance and supporting informed decision-making.

Both sessions reaffirmed DISCO’s commitment to building data-driven, future-ready urban mobility systems aligned with European sustainability goals!

Missed the webinars?
Recordings and materials from both sessions are available through the Mobility Academy:

DISCO met for its first 2025 General Assembly!

The first DISCO General Assembly of 2025 was held online over two productive days, on 26th and 27th March 2025. This virtual gathering brought together all project partners to reflect on recent achievements, share key updates, and align on the next steps for the project’s development.

A central highlight of the meeting was the progress made on the Meta Model Suite. This essential tool is now available, with its user interface design fully completed. Its launch marks a major milestone for the project and sets the stage for broader implementation across partner activities.

The spotlight also turned to the Starring Living Labs, as their implementation phase approaches its conclusion at the end of April 2025. Each lab provided an in-depth presentation of their work to date, showcasing innovative solutions, lessons learned, and the impact generated within their local contexts. Their insights are helping shape the foundation for the next phase of the project.

Attention is now gradually shifting towards the Twinning Living Labs, which are preparing to build on the experiences of their Starring counterparts. They, too, shared updates on their progress and outlined their upcoming plans, highlighting the growing momentum across the DISCO network.

In addition, key contributions were made by POLIS, ALICE, and Rupprecht Consult, who presented their efforts to build strong connections between DISCO and other relevant European projects. They also provided a recap of recent training sessions delivered as part of the knowledge-sharing and capacity-building activities.

Strategic links have been established with several prominent initiatives, including:
GREENLOG, deployEMDS, DECARBOMILE, ACUMEN, URBANE, SENATOR, and UNCHAIN. These collaborations are helping to expand the reach and impact of DISCO, while fostering synergies across the mobility and logistics innovation ecosystem.

Lastly, the DISCO Knowledge Platform continues to grow, offering a central hub for insights, resources, and updates from the project. The platform is publicly accessible here and serves as a valuable tool for stakeholders and the broader community.

As DISCO progresses through 2025, the General Assembly reaffirmed the commitment of all partners to collaboration, innovation, and achieving lasting impact in urban logistics and mobility.

DISCO partners met up in Cologne!

The DISCO consortium met up in Cologne for an exciting two-day event. The goal? Discussing progress and the steps forward!

The DISCO project consortium convened in Cologne, Germany, on October 16–17, 2024, for a partner meeting hosted by Rupprecht Consult. This two-day event gathered leading stakeholders in sustainable urban logistics to assess progress, share insights, and strategize the next phases of the DISCO initiative. Wolfgang Backhaus, warmly welcomed the DISCO partners and highlighted crucial points and linkages between DISCO, the EU Cities Mission, and NetZeroCities.

The Cologne meeting featured keynote presentations from members of the Impact Creation Board for Transformation (ICBT), notably Anne Goodchild of the Urban Freight Lab and Thomas Osdoba from NetZeroCities EU. Andreas Nettsträter, Open Logistics Foundation, and Marianne Ryghaug, SINTEF.

Their discussions emphasised the importance of open-source innovation and collaborative strategies in advancing urban logistics. ​

The meeting also facilitated knowledge exchange between Starring and Twinning Living Labs, aiming to scale DISCO’s innovative solutions to additional cities. This collaborative effort is central to DISCO’s mission of fostering sustainable and efficient urban logistics across Europe. ​On Day 1 we organised interactive breakout sessions in the afternoon on the progress of Starring Living Labs and one where project partners had the opportunity to engage with the ICBT experts. Day 2 continued with a focus on Twinning Living Labs, DISCO Data Space open software repository, follower sites, Key Exploitable Results validation (KERs).​

The discussions also included the DISCO Meta Model Suite (MMS), a key component of the DISCO project aimed at improving urban logistics. It is designed to address the challenges posed by increasing urbanization, e-commerce, and environmental concerns. The MMS promotes collaboration, interoperability, and resource sharing, aligning with the principles of the Physical Internet

A highlight of the event was the recognition of outstanding achievements by the DISCO Starring Living Labs teams. Awards were presented to Copenhagen, Ghent, Thessaloniki, and Helsinki for their exemplary contributions to sustainable urban logistics solutions. ​

DISCO shined bright at the Annual POLIS Conference 2024

DISCO made its presence known at the last Annual POLIS Conference 2024! The project took the stage and was also displayed at the exhibition area, introducing its innovations to multiple, diverse, and relevant stakeholders.

The DISCO project took stage at the 2024 POLIS Conference, held in Karlsruhe on 27-28 November 2024, Germany. As Europe’s flagship event on sustainable urban transport, the conference attracted over 1,000 mobility experts, city representatives, and technology innovators from across the continent.

DISCO partners delivered a dynamic presence, participating in an expert panel and engaging attendees through a vibrant project booth. The focus: demonstrating how cities can leverage data and digital platforms to plan, manage, and evaluate mobility systems that work for everyone.

Paola Cossu, CEO of FIT Consulting and Project coordinator, presented the DISCO project during the session “1F. Unlocking the last mile: Innovations in urban freight”, highlighting the potential of physical internet-led solutions to foster urban logistics and planning through data-driven and dynamic land use”. Domien Stubbe (VIL) presented the use cases being tested in the city of Ghent, Belgium.

DISCO shared the stage with other city representatives from Helsinki, Madrid, Karlsruhe to exchange about first-hand experiences of using DISCO’s tools to address diverse urban mobility needs and foster collaboration with other Horizon Europe projects focusing on urban freight and logistics (DECARBOMILE, UNCHAIN, URBANE) and policy-makers, reinforcing its role as a key player in the digital transformation of urban transport.

DISCO was also part of the exhibition area, with a booth shared with other EU-funded projects of project partner PNO.

New report showcases lessons learned from the Helsinki pilot!

A new, exciting concept report has now been published! It outlines the core elements of the Microhub model tested during the Helsinki pilot, including its operating principles, practical delivery model, stakeholder roles, and potential conditions for commercial deployment.

Urban logistics face significant challenges, particularly emissions from distribution activities and the limited space typically available in urban environments. DISCO set out to address these issues by testing the viability of a shared logistics solution centred around a Microhub in an urban setting.

Coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki, the DISCO pilot in Helsinki brought together several partners, including A2B, DB Schenker, DHL Express, LMAD, and Rolan.

The Microhub, situated in Helsinki’s Ruoholahti district, served as a base for eco-friendly last-mile deliveries. Larger shipments were first transported to the hub by vans and lorries, before being redistributed using low-emission alternatives such as cargo bikes and autonomous delivery robots. The hub also featured a DHL Express service point where customers could collect or send parcels, along with dedicated workspaces for company staff.

Throughout the trial, over 1,500 parcels were delivered from the Microhub using three A2B and DB Schenker cargo bikes, along with two delivery robots operated by LMAD. The pilot also tested the consolidation of parcel deliveries, further optimising the efficiency of urban logistics.

The pilot demonstrated that the Microhub enabled a new approach to parcel delivery, using lighter, more sustainable modes of transport. By shifting deliveries from vans and lorries to cargo bikes and autonomous delivery robots, the pilot successfully reduced CO₂ emissions and noise pollution in city centres. These lighter vehicles also require less space, helping to improve safety and overall comfort in densely built urban areas.

As part of the Microhub pilot, we collaborated with Ramboll Finland Oy to gather insights and experiences, which were then used to define the Microhub concept. This service design process included expert interviews and collaborative workshops. The resulting Concept Report offers a practical, easy-to-use guide to support the future development and scaling of Microhub solutions.

DISCO’s Ghent Living Lab: Final Event

DISCO’s Living Lab in Ghent is coming to a close with a final event on 25 April 2025! Throughout the project, Ghent explored multimodal urban logistics with a strong focus on water transport. Don’t miss the chance to discover the exciting results and insights!

The Living Lab in Ghent is coming to an end, and we’re wrapping it up with a final event on 25 April 2025. Partners—VIL, Imec, Be-Mobile, OHB, and the City of Ghent—worked together to create a safer, more sustainable logistics system using data sharing. Traffic and delivery rules (like car-free zones and school areas) were digitalised and shared with logistics companies to help them plan smarter, safer deliveries.

Agenda:

This event takes place in room ‘De Blauwe Vogel’ at the Krook (Miriam Makebaplein 1 – 9000 Gent). You reach the room through the main entrance of the library the Krook.

Registration is free, but spots are limited—sign up here!

To read more about it, click here.