Friday, May 15th, 2026
On 28 April 2026, ALICE and the Japan Physical Internet Center (JPIC) co-hosted a joint webinar focused on advancing the Physical Internet (PI) through structured maturity and readiness approaches. The session brought together European and Japanese perspectives, highlighting how different frameworks, from innovation readiness to organisational maturity can support the large-scale deployment of PI principles worldwide.
The webinar opened with Fernando Liesa, Secretary General of ALICE, who emphasised the importance of international collaboration in addressing common logistics challenges. Europe and Japan, he noted, are facing similar pressures, including rising logistics costs, driver shortages, capacity constraints and inefficient asset utilisation. In this context, the Physical Internet is increasingly seen not as a distant vision, but as a practical framework to enable systemic transformation and stronger collaboration across supply chains.
A central focus of the session was Japan’s progress in moving from vision to implementation. Tadashi Mizutani of Nomura Research Institute outlined key inefficiencies in the Japanese logistics system, including low truck fill rates and the significant amount of time drivers spend waiting or handling operations. These challenges have prompted strong governmental action, including new legislation requiring major logistics actors to develop concrete improvement plans, report progress and appoint Chief Logistics Officers to drive change at a strategic level as of April 2026.
Building on the Japan PI roadmap introduced in 2022, Japan has already seen the emergence of industry-specific collaboration initiatives. However, as companies began to engage with the concept, a new challenge became clear: while the vision was understood, there was no common way to measure progress or guide implementation. This gap led to the development of the Physical Internet Maturity Model (PIMM).
The PIMM was presented as a practical tool designed to translate the Physical Internet concept into actionable steps. Rather than assessing organisations in isolation, the model focuses on real collaborative logistics operations involving multiple partners. It enables companies to understand their current position, benchmark against peers and define clear pathways for improvement.
At its core, the model evaluates collaboration across several key areas, including physical operations, business processes, digitalisation, ecosystem governance and skills development. By focusing on measurable outcomes rather than specific technologies, it remains adaptable to evolving innovations while maintaining a clear direction for progress.
Beyond supporting internal improvement, the PIMM also aims to facilitate collaboration between companies. By providing a shared framework and common language, it helps organisations identify reliable partners and align expectations more efficiently. Early trials conducted in 2026 showed strong interest from industry, particularly in the model’s ability to support partner discovery and future cooperation.
The webinar also highlighted how the Japanese approach connects with ongoing European initiatives. Through the Horizon Europe IKIGAI project, ALICE is developing complementary methods focused on scaling up innovation, including readiness, viability and deployment processes. These approaches are not seen as competing, but rather as reinforcing each other within a broader global effort.
Fernando Liesa also shared insights from a recent visit to Japan, noting the strong engagement of industry, startups and public authorities. Large-scale initiatives, including plans for automated freight corridors, illustrate the ambition to address structural challenges such as driver shortages and improve logistics efficiency at scale.
The discussion concluded with clear interest from participants in the applicability of the model in Europe and its potential to inform future programmes. As both regions continue to develop their approaches, the alignment between European and Japanese efforts is expected to play an important role in shaping a more coherent and scalable Physical Internet ecosystem.
The webinar also served as a stepping stone toward further exchange, with participants invited to continue the discussion at the upcoming International Physical Internet Conference (IPIC 2026) in Bordeaux. More information: https://ipic2026.pi.events/