IKIGAI
Physical Internet and the Key steps to Innovation-driven supply chain transformation towards Green, Affordable, scalable and collaborative Zero-EmIssions Freight Transport solutions
Scaling Collaborative Logistics for a Green Future.
Vision.
To drive a systemic, Physical Internet–enabled twin transition that transforms European logistics into a high-performing, collaborative, digitalised, and decarbonised freight transport system. It seeks to create scalable logistics innovations supported by shared standards, interoperable processes, and trusted governance, enabling affordable freight decarbonisation by 2050.
The challenge.
European freight transport and logistics are highly fragmented, creating inefficiencies, waste, and barriers to decarbonisation. Operators are reluctant to share assets and data due to limited trust, diverse standards, and lack of interoperability across technologies, communication protocols, and logistics processes. These silos hinder coordination, prevent volume pooling, slow adoption of multimodal solutions, and obstruct real-time data, carbon visibility, and collaboration, all of which are crucial for meeting EU climate targets.
Supply Chain Fragmentation
Lack of Interoperability
Trust barriers blocking collaboration
Approach & solutions.
To address this challenge, IKIGAI adopts a systemic and scalable approach to transform European freight transport by advancing collaborative logistics through the Physical Internet paradigm. The project aligns logistics innovation with decarbonisation actions, introducing shared processes, interoperable systems, and open standards that enable supply chain actors to pool volumes, share resources, and operate across networks efficiently. By combining governance mechanisms, digital enablers, real-world pilots, and an innovation scale-up agenda, IKIGAI creates the conditions for collaborative, zero-emission logistics solutions to be widely adopted across Europe. This approach bridges operational, technological, and organisational gaps, laying the foundation for a unified, interoperable, and sustainable logistics ecosystem by:
- Scaling five Logistics Innovations to boost interoperability and support affordable freight decarbonisation
- Defining the PI Norm to standardise processes and enable seamless collaboration across logistics networks
- Establishing the PI Coalition as a neutral governance body to drive adoption and stakeholder onboarding
- Validating solutions through real pilots to demonstrate scalability and measurable impact
Inspired by the Japanese concept of ikigai, "a reason for being", the project turns interoperable, trusted innovations into scalable solutions, accelerating the shift toward an efficient, collaborative and climate-aligned European logistics system.
Real-Life industrial pilots
IKIGAI integrates real industrial pilots to test and validate its logistics innovations in operational environments. These demonstrators move the project beyond theory, showing how collaborative logistics and decarbonisation measures work in practice across real supply chains.
The pilots demonstrate five Logistics Innovations, ranging from trustee-based volume pooling to SME digital platforms, smart urban hubs, carbon accounting frameworks, and reusable modular packaging, proving that IKIGAI’s solutions are scalable, interoperable, and ready for adoption. By showcasing measurable efficiency gains and emission reductions, the pilots provide clear evidence that collaborative logistics can be deployed at scale across Europe.
Trustee matchmaking & volume pooling (LI1)
A neutral trustee model that enables shippers and logistics providers to pool volumes, share capacity, and optimise multimodal freight movements.
eFTI-compliant collaborative platform for SMEs (LI2)
A digital gateway helping SMEs comply with electronic freight regulations and connect to interoperable logistics networks at lower cost.
Smart synchromodal urban logistics hubs (LI3)
Hyperconnected hubs coordinating different transport modes (rail, barges, e-vans, and cargo bikes) to streamline last-mile services and cut emissions in cities.
Standardised end-to-end carbon chain of custody (LI4)
A harmonised framework to measure, verify, and share logistics emissions data across supply chains, enabling transparent and accountable carbon reporting.
Governance for reusable modular packaging (LI5)
A shared operating model for standardised, reusable boxes that reduce packaging waste and improve handling efficiency across logistics networks.
System-of-network integration (cross-cutting)
Demonstrates how different logistics networks interconnect through common procedures and digital interoperability, allowing freight to flow seamlessly across operators and modes.
Our role.
INLECOM serves as IKIGAI’s Innovation and Quality Manager and also holds a significant technical role within the consortium. Beyond steering innovation processes and ensuring quality assurance Inlecom contributes core technical expertise in advanced logistics, enabling technologies (i.e.simulation tools, Data Spaces, Digital Twins, IoT, Blockchain, and AI) that underpin the project’s interoperability ambitions. It supports data governance, ethics, and compliance activities, and provides technical leadership that shape the Twin Transition Genome, working closely with pilot teams to validate and scale Logistics Innovations.
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon research and innovation programme under GA 101202912 . Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission or CINEA. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
