Advancing Port and Logistics Automation: ALICE Highlights EU project funded Innovations at Antwerp-Bruges Port Automation Summit

Monday, September 22nd, 2025

On 16 September 2025, ALICE participated in the first Port of the Future – Autonomous Summit at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. This event brought together over 350 industry leaders, technology developers, researchers and policymakers. Organised during European Mobility Week, the Summit provided a platform to demonstrate how autonomous and automated solutions are already playing a role in enhancing logistics operations across modes, addressing safety and labour shortage challenges and being a lever for new business opportunities and competitiveness.

Innovative solutions at ALICE booth

In the main exhibition area, ALICE presented a cluster of seven EU-funded innovation projects that address the development and deployment of automation technologies across European logistics networks.

AUTOMOTIF: exploring automation in multimodal transport and integration across the supply chain.
AutoSUP: defining a shared vision and governance framework for full logistics automation across all modes and sectors
CCAMbassador: aligning Connected Cooperative and Automated Mobility innovation in road transport with logistics needs and stakeholder priorities
FOREMAST: promoting the use of small, flexible autonomous vessels
MODI: advancing automated road freight corridors and connected logistics operations
MultiRELOAD: enabling digitally advanced multimodal operations in ports and logistics hubs.
SEAMLESS: supporting automation in waterborne and inland freight systems

These projects were showcased in an interactive digital format, allowing visitors to explore real-world use cases, ongoing research, and emerging business models. The presentation clearly illustrated how these initiatives translate into innovative solutions for automation in logistics. Each project represents a step towards achieving safer, more efficient, and scalable automation in logistics.

MODI Business Model Bar: collecting insights from the sector

MODI Business Model Bar at the ALICE stand was an interactive, drop-in workshop that gathered industry perspectives on the viability and scalability of automated freight transport.

Participants engaged in brief guided exercises covering:

Value created by automation features
Operational cost impacts of continuous automated operations
Infrastructure investment and liability preferences
Preferred commercial and ownership models

If you would like to share your views on the future of automated freight, you can still complete the MODI workshop questionnaire and contribute to the ongoing development of business models for autonomous transport corridors.

Automation in ports and logistics

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of Europe’s most advanced logistics hubs, not only served as the host venue, but also as a real-life demonstration site. More than 20 live showcases were presented across the road, water and air domains, including:

Autonomous vessels for inspection and port operations
Remotely operated drones for monitoring and delivery
Self-driving vehicles navigating port environments
Belgium’s first public demonstration of a Level 4 autonomous truck, operated by Einride

The event reinforced the port’s ambition to act as an open innovation platform and accelerate Europe’s competitiveness in sustainable logistics. EU policymakers, including Andrea Di Candido from the European Commission (DG RTD), emphasised the importance of integrating port and corridor automation into broader logistics operations and aligning R&I programmes with real-world deployment.

Impact on the business community

The shift towards connected, cooperative, and automated logistics operations is already underway. As projects such as MODI, SEAMLESS, FOREMAST and many others, move from testing phase to implementation, businesses across the logistics value chain are being called to:

Explore the business models and ROI of automation
Understand evolving regulatory and infrastructure requirements
Engage in pilot programmes that validate use cases in operational contexts
Coordinate across sectors to develop scalable, interoperable solutions

ALICE’s involvement in these initiatives reflects its ongoing mission to foster collaboration between industry, research, and policy in support of sustainable, efficient logistics systems in Europe. ALICE provides an active framework and opportunity to be part of the development cycles and cutting-edge innovation projects that create the landscape of future logistics.

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