Tuesday, January 9th, 2024
European power for more collaborative open-source projects in logistics and Supply Chain Management
ALICE and Open Logistics Foundation join forces
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
To promote the spread of collaborative open-source solutions for logistics and supply chain management (SCM), two broadly networked European non-profit organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 19th December to intensify their cooperation. The Open Logistics Foundation and ALICE, the Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe want to combine the power of their networks to give the industry a stronger voice and emphasise the importance of collaboration for Europe’s future competitiveness and sustainability.
Founded in 2021 as a non-profit organisation, the Open Logistics Foundation is currently showing logistics and SCM a new way to remain fit for the future: Collaboration instead of strict competition. The implementation of a standard for the electronic consignment note or eCMR on an open-source basis is currently just the beginning. The Foundation’s members already include a wide range of major logistics operators such as Dachser, Rhenus, DB Schenker and DHL. The Foundation aims to become the international platform for the development of common code from competitors – always with a view to non-market-differentiating features in logistics and SCM. The cooperation of as many market participants as possible is necessary for the desired de facto standardisation in the relevant areas. The first international network partner is the European Technology Platform for Logistics, based in Brussels, which has been formed from more than 160 members from all SCM disciplines: ETP ALICE.
Founded in 2013, ALICE recognized the need to work on supply chain collaboration initiatives to define standard processes and protocols supporting the implementation of the Physical Internet concept. Increasing logistics efficiency and enable collaboration is critical to achieve and affordable transition to net zero emissions logistics and supply chains. ALICE gathers more than 170 members including leading experts and companies in logistics and supply chain innovation implementation. The Open Logistics Foundation started from the initiative of one of the ALICE members and it is truly delivering on ALICE vision and mission and advancing in its implementation. Open source, the facto and universal standards are key building blooks to enable collaboration and the creation of the Physical Internet.
Collaboration and open source as a game changer for Europe’s competitiveness
“Thanks to its networking with the European Commission, its large number of members and its participation in many Europe-wide initiatives, ALICE is an ideal network partner for us,” explains Andreas Nettsträter, CEO of the Open Logistics Foundation. “As an association focussed on collaboration, ALICE is an important supporter and advisor to the EU Commission in the introduction of new research programmes fulfilling its mandate as European Technology Platform. My long-time colleague and CFO Thorsten Hülsmann and I were even involved in the founding of ETP ALICE in 2013 in our previous Fraunhofer IML functions. The existing relationship is a good basis for a free exchange that will produce target-oriented open-source solutions for logistics. Together we want to give the logistics and SCM industry a stronger voice and emphasise collaboration as a game changer for the competitiveness of Europe, but also of each individual member.”
Universal open-source solutions enable structural collaboration
Francois Regis le Tourneau, Chairman of ALICE, adds: “The topic of ‘Physical Internet’ is at the top of our joint agenda, universal open-source solutions enable structural collaboration at zero marginal costs. This is a core building block of the Physical Internet enabling collaboration opportunities, visibility and increase resource utilization and sharing. Efficiency will be more and more important to achieve an affordable transition to climate neutral and sustainable logistics and supply chains. This makes it even more important for the Open Logistics Foundation and us to act as a driver for more collaboration and open standards in this field. We will collaborate in projects and will organise joint ideation workshops, events and seminars on an EU-wide level to identify pain points and opportunities in the logistics industry. Thanks to the high diversity of the Foundation’s members, a wide range of interest groups from all over Europe can find a voice .”
About
The Open Logistics Foundation and its supporting association Open Logistics e.V. were founded in 2021 and are independent and neutral organisations. The non-profit foundation based in Dortmund is completely financed by industry partners and is dedicated to the voluntary development of innovative open-source solutions at commodity level for the logistics industry. The focus is on open and fair cooperation between different companies, which can also be competitors in the free market. The overarching goal is to solve the most pressing existing problems of the logistics and supply chain management (SCM) community with uniform standards, tools and services, based on an open source.
ALICE, the Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe is The European Technology Platform for logistics. Set-up to develop a comprehensive industry lead strategy for research, innovation and market deployment of logistics and supply chain innovations in Europe. Leading experts and companies in implementing supply chain and logistics innovation form ALICE aiming at transitioning towards net zero emissions transport & logistics operations in an affordable way. ALICE vision is that logistics, from global to urban, are founded on universal and open standards and protocols enabling interconnectivity and seamless access to assets and resources in logistics networks. This framework enables opportunities for increased efficiency and productivity, increasing the agility and resilience of supply chains. We call this vision the Physical Internet (PI) and it will support the affordable transition of assets and energies towards Zero emissions logistics.
Press contact Open Logistics Foundation
Carina Tüllmann • Open Logistics Foundation
Emil-Figge-Str. 80 • 44227 Dortmund
Phone: +49 (0)173 4120374 • Mail: carina.tuellmann@openlogisticsfoundation.org
Internet: www.openlogisticsfoundation.org
Press contact ALICE
Fernando Liesa • ALICE
Avenue Jacques Brel 28_0, 1200 Brussels
Phone: +32 (0)470257625 • Mail: fliesa@etp-alice.eu
Internet: www.etp-alice.eu