SMILE - Smart last MILE logistics - has been a joint umbrella brand of the Logistics Initiative Hamburg and the Ministry of Economics and Innovation (BWI) since 2016, under which intelligent, innovative concepts and projects for sustainable last-mile delivery are bundled. The overarching aim is to establish the city of Hamburg as a model region for sustainable last-mile delivery. SMILE thus makes an important contribution to the goals defined in the ‘Urban Logistics Hamburg - Strategy for the Last Mile’ published in October 2021. These include, in particular, the reduction of CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 (compared to 2017) on the last mile, combined with a significant reduction in traffic congestion.
Background knowledge
The city centre logistics of the future is clean, quiet and efficient. Logistics service providers and established mail order companies, as well as young start-ups, have benefited from the growth rates in e-commerce in recent years. With retail companies such as the Otto Group, Tchibo and Globetrotter, Hamburg is an important location for online retail. At the same time, however, this development also brings challenges. The negative effects of the high growth rates in e-commerce are particularly noticeable for citizens in the form of increased traffic volumes and increased traffic obstructions as well as rising noise and pollutant emissions.
Conceptual framework
Against this background, these challenges are to be addressed within the framework of SMILE. In cooperation with the Ministry of Economics and Innovation (BWI), logistics service providers and other relevant companies will be included alongside other institutions. Among other things, the logistics initiative's network of more than 500 members will be utilised. In addition, stakeholders from research and science as well as industry interest groups are also involved. These include, for example, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, various retail associations and the stakeholders in Hamburg's Business Improvement Districts (BIDs).
As part of SMILE, new solutions are being developed in the following areas:
- Alternative drives
- Alternative means of transport
- Innovative IT and telematics solutions
- Innovative logistics concepts for neighbourhoods
- New delivery points and processes
SMILE is also used to communicate current projects and developments in the field of urban logistics to specific target groups. In addition to the above-mentioned stakeholders, urban society is also an important target group, as it is particularly affected by the negative effects of increasing shipment volumes.
Realisation
The Urban Logistics Contact Point is an important building block in the implementation of the aforementioned goals. With its expertise, it provides advice to interested companies and institutions from Hamburg and the Hamburg metropolitan region as required and supports the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in its positioning as an international pioneer in urban logistics, for example through corresponding presentations on national and international stages. Other central tasks of the contact point are the active networking of the relevant players in Hamburg, the joint development of ideas and the management of existing challenges in the field of urban logistics. An important platform for implementation in this regard is the Urban Delivery Transport Expert Group.
In addition, projects are regularly realised in Hamburg that address the various challenges in the field of urban logistics. Examples of ongoing projects with a corresponding thematic focus include DECARBOMILE, InnoWaTr, MoLo Hubs and MOVE21.
