FLC is the association of reference for every stage of the supply chain, with the aim of contributing to the development of increasingly competitive, sustainable and evolved logistics.
Studies and initiatives flow into opinions, assessments and directions addressed to institutions, industry insiders and the public.
In the latest article “Logistics, the future is digital and green. The comeback of startups,” the FLC gives us an overview of the evolution of the logistics sector, which is increasingly focused on sustainability and flow optimization.
Excerpt from the FLC article
“Technology, innovation and digitalization are the key words to understand the future of the sector, which in recent years has seen the emergence of more and more companies geared toward offering innovative and green solutions. According to a survey by the Politecnico di Milano, there are more than 500 startups internationally that have received more than 9.56 billion euros in funding, 92 percent more than in 2018 when there were about 300 active startups globally, with funding of 5 billion euros.
Among the innovations is an algorithm developed by Macingo, a startup for optimizing empty freight vehicle trips with the goal of reducing carbon emissions. Proximity and last-mile logistics are also experiencing a momentum. There are startups such as GEL Proximity for example that are working on enabling consumers to govern the logistics process themselves following an online purchase, thus facilitating the exchange of information between lockers and the online sales world. Consumers can choose the pickup point that is most convenient to them, designing a new check out experience that is certainly more sustainable and less impactful than direct home delivery.
The eCommerce market, in fact, also aided by the Covid-19 pandemic, is growing steadily, with the annual turnover of online purchases seeing an increase of 5.5 billion euros in 2020, reaching a total value of 23.4 billion, according to data from the eCommerce Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano. It is a market whose pace of ascent has been sustained especially by the logistics supply chain, which, however, now needs greater awareness on the part of both industry players and consumers to ensure development in line with the principles of sustainability. We have also discussed this here.
From muscular to digital logistics then: in recent years, the sector has evolved toward a logic increasingly focused on digitization and innovation, with a particular focus on sustainability understood in environmental, economic and social terms.
The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of the entire supply chain in response to the challenge launched by the European Union to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50 percent by 2050, as set out in the Green Deal plan.
Investing in green logistics therefore means investing in the future. An investment that, however, would not be possible without new digital technologies, which are essential to make oneself competitive in the eyes of an increasingly ecologically aware clientele. Precisely to go along with this need, a number of certifications have sprung up in recent years that are available to companies in the sector, able to attest to their commitment to sustainability.”
Commitment and thanks
GEL Proximity is working hard to create sustainable logistics. Decreasing truck trips while improving air quality, logistics flows, and increasing transit parcels is not easy but it is possible.
We thank the Freight Leaders Council for supporting us in this difficult yet honorable task.
