ALICE INNOVATION SUMMIT
CLECAT participated in the ALICE Innovation Summit, held on 23–24 October 2024 in Brussels, which brought together European policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to discuss how logistics can strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and sustainability in the era of the green and digital transitions. Speakers explored how innovation, automation, and collaboration can drive systemic change and deliver tangible progress on the EU’s digital and sustainability ambitions.
The two-day summit featured various parallel sessions covering a wide range of topics, including automation, data spaces, digital platforms, and clean transport corridors, alongside the presentation of numerous EU-funded research and innovation projects. CLECAT joined several sessions focused on digitalisation, exploring how policy and technology developments can support more efficient and connected logistics chains across Europe.
One of the panel sessions discussed the implementation of the electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) Regulation, which will enable the digital exchange of freight documents and reduce administrative burdens. Annika Kroon (DG MOVE) linked eFTI to broader EU initiatives such as the European Mobility Data Space and the Industrial Maritime Strategy, underlining digitalisation as a cornerstone of an efficient and sustainable transport system. Speakers also presented innovative solutions such as QR codes at border crossings, allowing authorities to verify consignments digitally, improving visibility and security. Other discussions highlighted how Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins can anticipate delays, optimise routing, and improve asset utilisation, while the Physical Internet was explored as a long-term vision for interconnected European freight systems.
Another panel focused on corridor-based electrification and the deployment of battery-electric heavy-duty vehicles. Experts agreed that infrastructure, vehicle technology, and policy must evolve together to enable large-scale deployment of zero-emission freight transport across Europe, supported by closer coordination between grid operators, charging providers, and logistics service providers.