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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TiMMi Transport (Making CO2-free city logistics a reality)

Teaser

Summary

The core problem being addressed by the TiMMi project is the pollution of the atmosphere caused by the logistics industry. At the same time, we are also fighting for workersâ€™ rights with respect to the notoriously difficult labour conditions in the logistics sector, as well as working to increase the number of women employed in the sector.

The most significant negative effect of the pollution of the atmosphere is climate change. The EU is fighting to limit climate change to below 2Â°. For the transport sector, this requires significant innovation since the sector & the emissions it produces are growing. Thereby, it is not only important to reduce the CO2 emissions, but also other greenhouse gases & pollutants created by fossil-fuelled vehicles, which damage the environment & human health.

Hence, TiMMi Transport GmbH is a social entrepreneurship venture with the goal of making emission-free city logistics in urban centres a reality by 2025. Our technical innovations have made it possible for us to create a rapidly scalable online network of bike couriers, ready to take on delivery jobs in any number of locations. TiMMi, as a high-tech SME, is joining forces with bike couriers, who have not been able to exploit the innovation potential in their sector in the past years, to offer smart, green & integrated goods transport. Due to our innovative approach to delivery, we can enhance efficiency & increase the quality of the delivery service, thus generating ecological, social & economic returns.

The key conclusions of the action in the Phase 1 SME instrument project were:
â€¢ It was confirmed that last-mile bike delivery (using eCargobikes, trikes & trailers) is economically feasible, given that last-mile deliveries by bike were successfully conducted on a daily basis for 3 months.
â€¢ It was confirmed that enabling customers to manage their delivery time windows to avoid unnecessary journeys (when customers are not available to receive a package) is practically feasible, improves delivery efficiency & is much appreciated by customers.

Work performed

In order to demonstrate the feasibility of last-mile bike delivery (using eCargobikes, trikes & trailers), projects were negotiated with three different depots of the major package companies (namely, 2 GLS depots & 1 DPD depot, all located in the German city of Hamburg). Deliveries were commenced in order to identify the potential for operational improvements & continually improve efficiency & increase delivery volumes. This process of continued observation & improvement of processes continues, to date. Hence, the result of the work performed thus far is that the project can continue along its positive trajectory & a growing number of packages can be delivered emission-free each month. In terms of the dissemination of results, package recipients & citizens in areas where emission-free delivery is implemented can be made aware that it is possible to replace delivery vans, which pollute the air & cause traffic jams & hence, are perceived to be a problem by many people, with delivery bicycles.

In addition, technical innovations such as route optimization or enabling package recipients to select a specific time-window for their delivery, have been tested & proven to enhance efficiency & the quality of service perceived by customers. Again, learnings from the project can be exploited to continually improve the practical implementation of these enhancements & offer them on a wider-scale. As such, results are disseminated to all users of the TiMMi online platform. Given the ability for the TiMMi platform to scale & be offered in many different locations, the international dissemination of results is possible & the groundwork for this expansion has already been laid throughout Phase 1 of the SME instrument.

Final results

The TiMMi project exemplifies progress beyond the state of the art in that:
- We are digitalising the operations of emission-free courier companies in many European locations so that they can receive delivery job information en masse via API from major customers.
- We are also acquiring the respective customers for the TiMMi network & developing the operational processes which are needed to efficiently deliver such large volumes with a high level of customer service.

Thus, we are progressing well towards the project goal goal of making emission-free city logistics in urban centres a reality by 2025, whilst also improving the level of customer service. Specifically, we are establishing the important innovation of delivery in a specific time-window, chosen by the customer. The demand for this service is high, but the technology currently being used by providers of last-mile delivery services is simply not sufficient. Hence, we are re-defining the state of the art.

In addition to the positive impact on the environment & customer service, other socio-economic impacts & positive societal implications of the project include:
- Increasing the number of women employed in the transport sector
- Fighting for workersâ€™ rights in terms of clearly regulated break times, minimum wages & maximum numbers of overtime hours.

Regarding the employment of women in the sector, it is widely known that the share of females employed in the logistics sector is very low & the EU has undertaken measures to understand & counteract this phenomenon. Being a female-led company, TiMMi is particularly interested in supporting this goal & bike delivery is well-suited to this aim. With regard to the general improvement of workersâ€™ rights in the sector, TiMMi can demand higher prices than last-mile delivery companies operating under the current status-quo, given that we are uniquely positioned as an emission-free & high-quality service provider. Thereby, we can also afford to offer delivery riders better working conditions. This positioning in the market as a fair, high quality & eco-friendly service provider will be continually developed by upholding & fighting for more ambitious ecological & social standards, as well as continually increasing the availability of superior services such as delivery in a specific time window.