UNCHAIN Newsletter #4
Welcome to our project news!
Welcome to the fourth UNCHAIN newsletter! Discover the updates from the project and follow what’s been happening.
PROJECT MILESTONES
We’re excited to share some major milestones in the progress of our project! Thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of our community, we’ve reached several important achievements that bring us closer to our goals. Discover below!
Launch of the Knowledge Power House
Our website’s Resources page has been enhanced to provide everything you need for a deeper understanding of our project work!
Our partner meeting in Mechelen
From May 19 to 21, partners of the UNCHAIN project gathered in the city of Mechelen, in Belgium. As a follower city in the project, Mechelen plays a vital role in supporting the implementation and demonstration of the innovative solutions being developed in the project. The two-day meeting was marked by insightful discussions on project progress, as well as a study visit, made even more enjoyable by the sunny weather!
The General Assembly kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with a warm welcome from project coordinator Elena Garcia (ETRA). This was followed by presentations on the project’s services and a demonstration of tools developed by the developers of VMZ, offering a technical perspective on ongoing innovations.
A hybrid Stakeholder Engagement Group and Peer-Cities Workshop, jointly organized by POLIS, EIT, and UMF, further enriched the program.
On Day 2, the team followed a study visit, walking through the streets with the local construction company and learning more about sustainable construction logistics. We discovered how the city successfully balances development with livability. The third session dealt with business innovation and go-to-market strategies.
To conclude the event, participants enjoyed one last study visit through the charming streets of Mechelen. The visit ended in front of urban lockers used by the city’s postal service to support more efficient and sustainable last-mile deliveries!
Launch or the Freight-efficient Land-use (FELU) Guidebook
The FELU Guidebook, a major milestone of the UNCHAIN project, is online!
This interactive handbook is designed to support urban planners in integrating sustainable freight solutions into their cities. It combines practical land-use strategies with clear, visual examples tailored to different urban contexts.
UNCHAIN Workshop unites cities to drive scalable urban logistics solutions
On 9 July, the UNCHAIN project held a collaborative workshop titled “City matching: bridging peer cities and followers for scalable impact”. Organised by EIT Urban Mobility, the workshop brought together peer cities,, follower cities and members of the Stakeholder Engagement Group to foster dialogue and knowledge exchange on the transferability of innovative urban logistics solutions.
Madrid showcases innovations in curb space management as part of the UNCHAIN project
In May 2025, the UNCHAIN project participated in a POLIS working group discussion focused on digitising curb space to enhance parking management and urban logistics operations.
The event also provided the City of Madrid with an opportunity to share insights from its living lab and the initiatives undertaken as part of the “Madrid 360” Strategy. Like many cities, Madrid faces increasing pressure on curbside space, challenged to accommodate multiple and often conflicting uses. Key challenges include congestion and overcrowding, inefficient use and allocation of space, conflicts between users, lack of clear regulation or enforcement. To address these, Madrid has set up a strategy and developed the DUM 360 application for the management of loading and unloading activities. It offers a smart and user-friendly system for urban distribution and logistics in regulated parking zones.
Through the UNCHAIN project and the Madrid Living Lab, the city is taking concrete steps to modernize urban freight logistics and better manage its curbside space, helping to reduce emissions, improve accessibility, and optimize urban mobility systems.
Events participation
In recent months, the UNCHAIN project has been actively participating in key events to showcase our progress and engage with stakeholders in sustainable urban logistics.
In June 2025, we have attended the 34th European Conference on Operational Research (EURO 2025).
As one of the leading international conferences in the field of Operational Research, EURO 2025 brought together experts from academia, industry, and public authorities to share innovative research and tools that support better decision-making in complex systems.
UNCHAIN contributed to the discussions with a presentation on PLIAS, a decision-making tool for evaluating urban access regulations.
Next steps
Looking ahead, we are excited to prepare for our upcoming participation in the Urban Mobility Days and the Smart City Expo World Congress. There, we aim to further strengthen our network and disseminate knowledge on our ongoing initiatives. Each event serves as a vital opportunity for collaboration and advancing our mission in urban logistics!
We are also very excited to meet at the Next GA that will take place on 21 & 22 October in Prague!
This beautiful city will host the consortium for 2 days of fruitful exchanges, preparing the launch of the demonstration phase!
