DISCO

DISCO aims to develop a new generation of data-driven of urban logistics and smart planning through a Physical Internet led approach.

Cities are becoming more populated and congested resulting in increasing difficulty to move goods around efficiently, this coupled with the efforts towards becoming more sustainable, city road networks are facing quite a conundrum.

This is particularly true for last-mile delivery, which refers to the final leg of the delivery process. Last-mile delivery is often the most expensive and time-consuming part of delivery, and it requires a high degree of coordination and planning to ensure that goods are delivered on time and in good condition.

To address these challenges, multiple stakeholders are turning to city logistics data to optimize their operations. By analyzing data on traffic patterns, delivery routes and urban space use, logistics providers can identify ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. For example, they may use predictive analytics to anticipate demand and adjust their delivery schedules accordingly, or they may use real-time traffic data and local urban access data to reroute deliveries around congestion.

This is where the ‘Physical Internet’ comes in, this is the interconnected digital network of physical infrastructure that facilitates the movement of goods and products. The physical internet will rely heavily on city logistics data to function effectively. This data is critical for ensuring that goods can be moved efficiently within and between cities. The DISCO project serves as a testbed for some foundational tenets of the physical internet.

When

May 2023 – November 2026

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.


Main collaborating partners

DISCO is a collaboration between 47 partners: cities, technology and service providers, industry and SMEs, real estate companies, research organisations and universities, and network organisations. 

More information

Here you can find more information about this project.