"There's significant room for improvement in supply chain logistics in our cities"

Eduard J. Alvarez Palau holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), a Master's Degree in Organization Management in the Knowledge Economy from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and a PhD in Transport Engineering and Infrastructure from the UPC. He's an associate professor at the UOC and the principal investigator of the Faculty of Economics and Business's Urbanization, Trade and Sustainable Logistics (URBANLOG) research group.

 

You're leading a new research group at the UOC called Urbanization, Trade and Sustainable Logistics, or URBANLOG for short. What are its aims?

When we developed the idea for the group, we defined three strategic lines. These then served as the basis for the following aims: the first is urbanization and urban growth, which aims to understand how cities are evolving and to define the policies needed to achieve equitable growth, while ensuring that everything works as well as possible. The second is trade and responsible consumption, which focuses on deepening our understanding of trade dynamics and consumer behaviour. The third is sustainable logistics, which aims to analyse and understand the logistical requirements of delivering goods to populations in order to plan strategies, design ethical and resilient supply chains, and optimize the operations necessary to provide a sustainable service.

 

Together with other UOC researchers, you've published a study on creating a public-private network for goods distribution in Barcelona. What are your main conclusions?

 The study in question, led by my colleague Cristian Castillo, was designed to analyse how the use of existing infrastructure and facilities could help redefine the parcel delivery model in the city of Barcelona.

The idea behind the study is that the current B2C (business to consumer) parcel distribution model, characterized by hundreds of vans entering and leaving the city every day from warehouses and logistics centres, is unsustainable. The operation of these vehicles has been shown to cause congestion, parking problems, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and other negative externalities. 

 

So what needs to be done?

If we could move to a model of micro-consolidation centres in neighbourhoods from which last-mile distribution could be carried out, the number of kilometres travelled by vans would be minimized, while routes using sustainable vehicles (such as cargo bikes and electric mopeds) would be maximized. A network of shared micro-distribution centres, some public and some private, using different types of infrastructure and facilities, would help contain operating costs while reducing the negative externalities of the current distribution model.

 

Do you think it's possible to make urban parcel delivery more sustainable?

There's significant room for improvement in supply chain logistics in our cities. We need to analyse what's bought and how. Consumers making informed choices can drive meaningful change in environmental, economic and social terms.

There are also more sustainable alternatives for distributing goods. Delivery by van isn't the same as using an electric bike, nor is door-to-door delivery the same as using smart lockers or collection points. Similarly, a large number of parcel companies delivering with half-loaded vans isn't the same as consolidating and optimizing vehicle loads. And this is without considering the optimization potential offered by digitization and the use of advanced technology.

 

How can the advent of AI help or benefit the logistics and transport sector?

The correct use of data and analytical techniques can bring about unimaginable improvements in supply chain management. First, market fluctuations can be predicted, allowing better decisions to be made about what to produce and when. Second, AI can help optimize the use of raw materials, reducing waste in production processes. Third, robots can be used to automate certain tasks, such as warehouse management in e-commerce. Fourth, systems can be developed to balance supply and demand in transport. Fifth, algorithms can optimize distribution routes based on multiple variables that evolve dynamically over time. And sixth, AI can assess the potential risks of supply chain disruptions and help create contingency plans. These are just a few examples to give you an idea.

 

Can you give an example of how AI and data analytics can help solve logistical problems here at in Spain?

In another study we recently published, also led by Cristian Castillo, we looked at the provision of home medical services in rural communities. Rural communities far from provincial capitals face not only depopulation but also an ageing population. This means that, beyond a certain age, when driving is no longer an option, reaching the nearest primary healthcare centre can become a challenge.

The results show the feasibility of providing a home visiting service for these patients, which would reduce the total travel time by up to half – a time burden that often falls on the public administration in funding taxis or ambulances.

 

You're a researcher on a project that aims to use drones to provide logistical services to hospitals in cross-border areas of the Pyrenees. Can you tell us about the current status of the project?

The Niu.Link project aims to test the use of drones to transport medicines between hospitals in two cross-border mountain areas. In addition to technological innovation, the project aims to assess the definition of safe operational corridors, set up coordination systems between air safety authorities, monitor GNSS signals and create an experimental vertiport.

We're currently working on redefining the corridors and coordinating flight plans with air traffic controllers and national air safety authorities in both countries. We're also analysing the impact, looking at business models and comparing different logistical delivery scenarios. We hope to see drones flying along the corridors in Cerdanya and Val d'Aran later this year.

 

You're one of the authors of the Guide to the development of sustainable urban logistics plans (in Catalan), published by Barcelona Provincial Council, and an advisor to Barcelona's Metropolitan Transport Authority for the implementation of the first pilot projects to draft sustainable urban logistics plans in Catalonia. What was the motivation for this work and what solutions does it offer?

We've always sought to collaborate with the relevant public administrations in order to make the knowledge we generate available to them. Since the approval of the Catalan Mobility Law in 2003, several initiatives have been launched to achieve a more sustainable transport model. However, two decades later, the market clearly hasn't been successful in reducing the externalities it generates. 

Sustainable urban logistics plans are designed as a planning tool to complement sustainable urban mobility plans, with a specific focus on urban goods distribution. We're currently providing technical support to the teams drafting the sustainable urban logistics plans for Mataró, Vilafranca del Penedès, Vic and Barberà del Vallès, in order to facilitate this transition. The idea is also to use the data collected to generate new knowledge.

 

Your field is gaining ground all over the world as a result of technological change and the growth of trade. Is there a particular place that you think stands out in terms of implementing sustainable practices in this area?

It's quite difficult to point to a single paradigmatic example of urban goods distribution in the Western world. However, I think it's interesting to highlight some notable initiatives. In Paris, for example, they decided to build Chapelle International, an intermodal logistics centre designed to integrate rail terminals with urban distribution areas. In Berlin, the KoMoDo initiative was launched, combining micro-consolidation centres with cargo bike deliveries. In Switzerland, the Cargo Sous Terrain system – still under development – proposes an innovative network of automated underground tunnels for freight transport.

 

And what is the current situation in Barcelona?

Barcelona has been and still is a pioneering city and a benchmark in urban planning and transport management. It actively participates in European projects to test measures such as tactical urbanism, superblocks and green corridors, autonomous delivery vehicles, micro-hubs, cargo bikes and electric mopeds or smart lockers. It's also an international benchmark for having set up the Logistics Sector Round Table, a platform where government representatives and operators meet to discuss priorities and actions. In short, a lot of good work is being carried out and it's important to acknowledge this, but there's still much more to be done.

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