IKIGAI- Physical Internet and the Key steps to Innovation-driven supply chain transformation towards Green, Affordable, scalable and collaborative Zero-Emissions Freight Transport solutions

IKIGAI is an ambitious European project aiming to accelerate the realisation of the Physical Internet (PI) by 2040 and decarbonise freight transport and logistics by 2050.  KIGAI supports logistics companies to reach decarbonisation goals, in an affordable and competitive way, managing regulatory pressure and market volatility, removing major barriers to scalability of innovative solutions fit for the new economic landscape.  

Objectives and expected results 

• Piloting five Physical Internet Logistics Innovations (LIs) addressing barriers for scalability in diverse European settings, such as urban hubs, transport corridors and ports, to validate innovations in emissions tracking, volume pooling, data sharing and packaging standardisation. 
• Develop the PI Norm, a set of standard and universal operating procedures to foster innovation scale-up in areas such as digital interoperability and decarbonisation. 
• Support the development of clean, connected logistics services and transport operations defining a roadmap (Twin transition Genome) to practically implement PI and decarbonization in freight transport and logistics. 
• Facilitate systemic change through a shared governance structure (the PI Coalition) and targeted engagement with stakeholder (PI Ambassadors) SMEs, industry leaders, and policymakers. 
• Assess innovation readiness and scalability by applying a robust framework that identifies regulatory, technological, and market enablers for innovation scale up. Lever concrete business value including improved resource efficiency, lower emissions, reduced operational costs, and strengthened competitiveness for adopters. 

Why ALICE is part of IKIGAI and what is its role?

ALICE, as a key European network in logistics innovation, plays a strategic and operational role in the IKIGAI project. ALICE is committed to: 

• Build upon its experience through BOOSTLOG project, and current initiatives including ALICE 4 Impact to go beyond readiness levels to achieve impact out of R&I and support scalable innovations deployment.  
• Advance ALICE Express as the key initiative to drive increase of use of intermodal in Europe.
• Contribute to the development of the first PI standards and assets for PI adoption, i.e. the PI Norm, and lead the creation of the PI Coalition to effectively implement PI principles. 
• Prepare and implement consensus building processes and guides to support the creation of an actionable roadmap and plan to achieve PI adoption by 2040 and decarbonization by 2050. 
• Lever ALICE network of companies and stakeholders to amplify the impact of the project. Establish and chair the value boards: PI Ambassadors and the Nishida Circle. 
• Lead the Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation activities including the creation of the PI Observatory. 
• By participating in IKIGAI, ALICE supports the alignment of the project with its broader mission to promote innovation and collaboration toward a decarbonised, efficient, and integrated logistics system in Europe.