Thursday, October 8th, 2026
The European Logistics Observatory, established through the collaboration between the Contract Logistics “Gino Marchet” Observatory of Politecnico di Milano and ALICE, has launched a new European survey to understand how the role of logistics service providers is evolving in a highly volatile and fast changing business ecosystem.
As supply chains become more complex, companies’ response to sustainability, digitalization, automation, resilience and competitiveness evolve. Related customer requirements and needs are embraced by logistics services providers through new services and capabilities. The survey aims to capture how this transformation is taking place across Europe and provide evidence on the services that are already gaining importance – and those expected to shape the market in the coming years.
The survey explores how logistics companies are expanding their portfolios across areas including production support, inventory planning, packaging, circular economy, digitalisation, green logistics and consulting. It examines which services companies offer today, which they expect to introduce within the next three years and how these activities are integrated into their commercial offering.
Take part in the European Logistics Observatory survey: https://polimi.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5hV8z2bwpK5g6SG
It also looks ahead to emerging opportunities for the sector, including logistics new demands connected to the energy transition, supply chains for clean technologies and infrastructure, and logistics services supporting humanitarian and climate-related emergency response.
Beyond identifying new services, the research seeks to understand their growing economic relevance. Respondents are invited to provide an indication of the share of revenues generated by services beyond transport and warehousing and to identify what is enabling their development – from skills and talent to innovation networks, collaborative R&I programmes, partnerships with specialised providers, customer co-design and investment in physical and digital technologies.
The survey is specifically addressed to logistics service providers operating in Europe, including 3PLs and 4PLs, freight forwarders, courier, express and parcel operators, and integrated intermodal and port logistics operators.
The contribution of companies across different European markets is important to build a stronger picture of how the sector is evolving, identify common trends and understand where logistics providers see the greatest opportunities for future growth and value creation.
The deadline to complete the survey is 18 November 2026.
All responses will be treated anonymously and the information collected will be used exclusively for research purposes in aggregated form, ensuring that individual respondents cannot be identified.
By participating, logistics providers can contribute their practical market experience to the European Logistics Observatory’s research and help build a stronger evidence base on how logistics services, business models and capabilities are evolving across Europe.
Take part in the European Logistics Observatory survey: https://polimi.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5hV8z2bwpK5g6SG
Your experience can help provide a more accurate picture of where the European logistics services market stands today – and where it is heading next.