CO4HUB
Cooperation for Hubs in Urban Logistics
- Category
- Project
- Call
- DUT Call 2024
- Duration
- –
- Project coordinator
- Graz University of Technology
Urban freight is a major driver of congestion, emissions, and noise in European cities, and the rise of the 15-minute city risks further intensifying these pressures. Ensuring reliable access to essential goods while safeguarding urban livability requires systemic, sustainable solutions. Urban logistics hubs (ULHs) are widely seen as a promising approach, yet past initiatives have struggled to deliver impact because they overlooked three critical challenges:
- Extremely limited availability of suitable inner-city spaces.
- Low consumer willingness to pay for sustainable last-mile delivery.
- Reluctance among competitors to consolidate shipments.
CO4HUB addresses these barriers head-on. By combining pilots, simulations, and innovative governance and business models, the project will design scalable ULH solutions that overcome spatial, economic, and competitive constraints. The ultimate research question is: How can ULHs be designed and governed to deliver measurable sustainability benefits while remaining economically viable in diverse urban contexts?
To address the identified challenges, CO4HUB will develop innovative ULH solutions across three core areas:
- Organizational setups: Maximize limited inner-city space by enabling operators to share infrastructure efficiently.
- Business models: Create compelling value propositions that combine multiple services, increasing customer’s and businesses’ willingness to adopt sustainable last-mile delivery.
- Public policies: Shape regulations and incentives that encourage competitors to consolidate shipments, optimizing urban logistics across actors.
Solutions will be co-designed, refined, and validated with stakeholders through six real-world pilots across four countries. Complementary simulations will assess the transferability and scalability of ULH concepts under different urban conditions. All interventions will integrate novel physical and digital innovations, ensuring measurable impacts on traffic reduction, emissions, and urban livability. By combining practical experimentation with systemic analysis, CO4HUB will deliver actionable, scalable solutions for sustainable urban logistics.
This project will pioneer next-generation urban logistics hubs (ULHs) that transform how cities move goods. We empower decision makers by delivering actionable insights on organizational setups, business models, and public policies—backed by real-world pilots and advanced simulations.
Organizational setups will build trust and collaboration among stakeholders, unlocking shared infrastructure that cuts delivery distances and emissions.
Business models will combine ULHs with complementary services, creating powerful value propositions that boost efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver clear benefits for all actors.
Public policies will accelerate the transition to sustainable urban transport, driving shipment consolidation and removing excess delivery vehicles from city streets.
The result: cleaner air, less congestion, and more livable cities. By proving both impact and scalability, this project positions ULHs as a cornerstone of future-ready, sustainable urban logistics across Europe and beyond.
Austria
Finland
France
Sweden
Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö sr, ACTES, CellSwap AB, Clean Motion AB, Cooperative Carbone, Excelia Group, Helsingborgs kommun, Herry Consult GmbH,
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Ragn-Sells Recycling AB, Struggle Creative Oy, Université de Bordeaux, VCÖ - Mobilität mit Zukunft, Yeply Oy
City, LogPOINT Logistics Services GmbH, NSR AB, Oy Merinova Ab, Stadt Graz, Stadtgemeinde Tulln, WienIT GmbH, Wirtschaftskammer Wien, Wolt Enterprises Oy
Contact
Thomas Draschbacher
thomas.draschbacher@tugraz.at