by Walther Ploos van Amstel
Amazon’s first quarter 2026 results reveal a company investing heavily in its physical logistics infrastructure, even as that spending compresses free cash flow to near zero. The obsession with improving customers’ lives every day comes at a cost. A big one. Scale and speed Total net product sales reached $296 billion, up by almost 9% …
City logistics research has a problem. Not a shortage of data, not a lack of clever algorithms, and not an absence of ambitious pilots. The problem is simpler and more stubborn: too much knowledge stays on the shelf. Reports get written, conferences get filled, and meanwhile, the delivery van is still double-parked on the bike …
This report by the Dutch Topsector Logistiek, &Morgen and TwynstraGudde examines how the growing demand for urban logistics can be efficiently and sustainably accommodated within limited urban space. The authors distinguish between different types of logistics hubs and conclude that carriers’ commercial interests often conflict with municipalities’ societal objectives. Using the Double Diamond methodology, real-world …
In 2025, Dutch PostNL continued its strategic transformation from a traditional postal and parcel operator into a digitally driven, data-powered logistics platform. Innovation focused on modernising the digital ecosystem, embedding AI into daily operations, strengthening cybersecurity, and improving customer experience across the entire delivery journey. At the customer interface, the PostNL app became the central …
Circular models can be both sustainable and profitable—if developed with the right partners. But is municipal waste collection truly a core competence? Urban waste collection is a complex challenge. In many cities, residents and businesses struggle with persistent litter on the streets. Despite the efforts of frontline staff, stricter rules, and awareness campaigns, waste problems …
Urban logistics is at a turning point. Today, last-mile operations already account for 30% of transport-related CO₂ emissions in cities. While the EU Green Deal targets a 50–55% reduction in emissions for vans and cars by 2030, many local authorities are also moving toward zero-emission zones to advance clean urban logistics. To address these challenges, …
Last-mile operations (LMO), the processes involved in the critical last stage of delivering goods and services, are widespread across major economic sectors, including retail, food services, healthcare, humanitarian services, energy distribution, telecommunications, public services, and others. These operations account for many of these sectors’ costs, jobs, and economic output. Global economic output involving last-mile deliveries …
The rapid growth of e-commerce has transformed urban logistics, raising concerns about congestion, pollution, and the impact of delivery vehicles on city life. Some argue that home deliveries are overwhelming our streets and that pick-up points and cargo bikes are the ultimate solution. However, the reality is far more nuanced. Home delivery myths : One-size-fits-small? from …
Come and explore perspectives on the future of Urban Mobility during EIT Open Day Eindhoven, part of INNOVEIT, on Tuesday 25 October 2022. The event will take place in the heart of one of the largest design events in Northern Europe: Dutch Design Week. Get to know EIT Urban Mobility and get inspired by solution talks, …
Industry 4.0 technologies, originally developed in the manufacturing sector, can be purposefully implemented to improve City Logistics (CL) processes by automatizing some of their operational tasks and enabling the real-time exchange of information, with the ultimate goal of providing better interconnection among the actors involved. The digital transformation that logistics networks face offers new opportunities …