A common vision for urban transformation

EIT Urban Mobility and the Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe (ALICE) have formalised their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a milestone in their shared mission to drive forward innovation in urban logistics and sustainable mobility across Europe.

Adriana Diaz, Innovation Director at EIT Urban Mobility, and Fernando Liesa, Secretary General of ALICE, signed the agreement during a ceremony in Munich on 3 June as part of the Transport Logistic event. The agreement marks a milestone in the relationship between the two organisations, which have already cultivated a strong alliance since 2020. The organisations share a vision of tackling urban challenges such as pollution, congestion, road safety and climate impact through innovative logistics solutions.

A strong alliance for liveable cities

With over 190 members, ALICE connects companies, research centres, and policymakers to develop innovative solutions for zero-emission, automated, efficient, and resilient supply chains with the goal of achieving the twin transition to zero emission and digitalisation of logistics in an affordable way boosting European competitiveness.  

By combining ALICE’s and EIT Urban Mobility’s dynamic innovation communities, this strategic agreement aims to support the transformation of how urban logistics is managed in urban settings — a critical component of the journey towards more liveable cities. This agreement reflects a maturing partnership that recognises urban logistics as a pivotal challenge in the transition to sustainable urban mobility. As cities across Europe face mounting pressure to decarbonise and decongest, the alliance between EIT Urban Mobility and ALICE will play a central role in ensuring innovative, scalable, and collaborative solutions to challenges.

“By joining forces with ALICE, we are strengthening our joint efforts to support the transformation of urban freight transport. Through collaboration within our innovation community, we can better respond to the pressing challenges European cities face” said Adriana Diaz, Innovation Director at EIT Urban Mobility.

“This Memorandum of Understanding opens a new chapter in our long-standing collaboration with EIT Urban Mobility. By connecting ALICE’s logistics innovation network with EIT’s ecosystem of cities and urban mobility actors, we are strengthening our joint capacity to accelerate sustainable and efficient urban logistics, fully aligned with ALICE’s mission to drive innovation in freight transport,” added Fernando Liesa, Secretary General of ALICE. 

A structured approach to cooperation

The signing of the MoU builds on a growing portfolio of shared initiatives between EIT Urban Mobility and ALICE. These include participation in Horizon Europe projects such as URBANE, the formal membership of EIT Urban Mobility in ALICE since January 2024, and joint knowledge exchange and positioning on emerging urban logistics innovations, as well as joint webinars on key topics and dissemination of funding opportunities.

With this MoU, both organisations aim to institutionalise their cooperation and maximise their collective impact on shaping sustainable urban freight systems. The partnership seeks to bridge the gap between city authorities, academia, business innovators, and policymakers by aligning their research, innovation, and deployment efforts.

The MoU outlines a comprehensive scope of collaboration that includes:

• Continued strategic dialogue: EIT Urban Mobility and ALICE will maintain an ongoing strategic dialogue as references for urban logistics innovation across Europe.
• Policy advocacy: Advocate on R&D&I needs linked to urban logistics and road freight decarbonisation priorities in cities and regions.
• Knowledge and innovation sharing: Co-organise events, workshops, and webinars to disseminate good practices, knowledge, funding opportunities and initiatives, and promote innovation in the field or urban logistics and road fright decarbonisation in cities and regions.
• Align urban logistics priorities: Fostering common positions on key European R&I topics.

Towards sustainable and competitive urban logistics

This partnership underscores the commitment of both organisations to not only tackle the pressing societal challenges of urban logistics but also to unlock new opportunities for innovation, digitalisation, and decarbonisation. By combining their strengths, EIT Urban Mobility and ALICE aim to catalyse a European logistics ecosystem that is more sustainable, resilient, and aligned with the EU Green Deal and broader urban sustainability goals.

Together, EIT Urban Mobility and ALICE are setting a new benchmark for how strategic alliances can accelerate innovation and drive systemic change in the field of urban logistics, ensuring that cities across Europe become more sustainable, efficient, and liveable for all.