Surflogh (European Level)

Assigment

Managing an international cooperation project (Surflogh) on smart city logistics and deployment of city hubs.

Project summary

Objective of the project is to achieve a more efficient cargo distribution in urban areas, and thereby maintain efficiency in long distance transport. To promote efficient logistics sustainably, the focus is on optimizing the interaction between hubs and the urban logistics system in smaller and medium-sized cities and city networks.

Surflogh is innovative in that it introduces a 'system and supply chain approach' in developing these hubs (as opposed to past projects that focused on location), making them really 'smart'. By establishing city labs an international platform is created, bringing various actors together to exchange knowledge, work on new pilot projects and implement the results within policy strategies and urban logistic systems.

Our approach

BCI fulfilled the role of project manager and was responsible for ensuring that the 6 project partners (from the Netherlands, Belgium, UK and Sweden) delivered their deliverables on time and in good quality.

Result

Some of the take-aways, based on the pilots and research executed in the Surflogh project are:

• Consolidation is key for the business case of city hubs
• Find a balance between developing policy measures and really influencing the market
• Obtain a good understanding of the business perspectives among stakeholder groups
• Persevere –behavioral change takes time within the transport and logistics sector
• Be flexible – innovation also means being able to adapt and change