Proximity logistics is confirmed as a direction to focus on for a more sustainable future.
Milan, Oct. 5, 2020.
After a year of acceleration within Polihub – the incubator of the Politecnico di Milano – GEL Proximity has obtained the official qualification of Spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano.
This is a demonstration of how proximity logistics is not just a “bet” but a concrete direction of development for more sustainable logistics, also shared by the Politecnico di Milano. In fact, GEL Proximity fits into a market – that of B2c eCommerce – that is growing in double digits year by year and has recorded the delivery of as many as 312 million parcels in 2019, a number that does not include deliveries of individual B2b parcels, another market segment for which the fledgling startup could prove very useful.
In fact, GEL Proximity is proposed as a platform that provides access to all the main Italian proximity networks (which now count about 45,000 active Points), through a single technological integration. This allows last-mile logistics to be placed at the center of the end-consumer shopping experience, managing the relationship between the “online shopping cart” and the proximity logistics solution chosen by the customer to pick up the package or to make a return.
The benefits of the solution are many:
1. It allows the merchant to increase its turnover by reducing the abandonment rate at checkout for shipping-related reasons (to date 60% in Italy)
2. Reduces the technological costs of companies (merchants and couriers/logistics operators) thanks to a single integration required to access the different networks of pickup points
3. Reduces companies’ CO2 emissions and logistics costs as, for the same volumes, it optimizes the number of stops/deliveries and the reduction of storage at couriers.
4. It improves the customer experience of online users, who will be able to decide for themselves where and when to pick up their purchase – in fact, 80% of Italian eShoppers say they want personalized logistics experiences
For Lorenzo Maggioni, creator and Co-Founder of GEL Proximity, this is a great satisfaction:
“We firmly believe that a more sustainable future in Logistics also passes by an increased use of proximity solutions, as is already happening in other countries, and that Italy strongly needs a facilitator like GEL Proximity. The growth path of this business idea has seen the contribution of Professors and Researchers from the Politecnico di Milano, whom I thank, and the qualification obtained as a Spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano is a further stimulus for the whole GEL Proximity team, as well as a strengthening of our sense of responsibility.”
In its journey, GEL Proximity has availed itself of the collaboration of the Digital Innovation Observatories of the Politecnico di Milano, a point of reference for the world of innovation in Italy and around the world. In particular, the following participated as Advisors: Damiano Frosi (Director of the Contract Logistics Observatory), Valentina Pontiggia (Director of the B2c eCommerce and Digital Innovation in Retail Observatory), Professors Alessandro Perego and Riccardo Mangiaracina (Professors of Logistics Management and Scientific Managers of the Digital Innovation Observatories ), and Antonio Ghezzi (Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation and Director of the Hi-tech Startup Observatory of the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano).
“Our University once again demonstrates its attention to the issue of sustainability and the promotion of entrepreneurship within its structures with the support of new high-tech companies, aimed at transforming scientific and technological know-how into innovations with concrete application in the market.” says Damiano Frosi, Board Member of GEL Proximity and Director of the Contract Logistics Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, who continues “The Digital Innovation Observatories and its researchers prove to be a valuable reference for companies and startups looking for innovation.”
GEL Proximity’s co-founders also include Valerio Bevilacqua (Growth Manager) and Marco Torretta (CTO), professionals with significant experience behind them in the technology and digital fields.
For GEL Proximity in 2019, it is worth mentioning the victory of the Innovation Challenge “Switch2Product” (a joint initiative of Deloitte, Politecnico di Milano and PoliHub) and the awarding of the best project MIP, the Business School of Politecnico di Milano. S2P is the program that enhances on the market innovative solutions, new technologies and business ideas proposed by students and graduates from up to three years, researchers, Alumni and faculty of Politecnico di Milano.
