WHAT IS URBAN LOGISTICS?

Urban Logistics (also City Logistics or Last-Mile Logistics) relates to the way in which goods flow in, out and circulate within cities, in order to fulfil the final link of supply chains in the best possible conditions. Such conditions, imply a compromise between various stakeholders (professionals, local authorities and inhabitants) with their own objectives and constraints (safety, pollution, noise, road sharing, congestion, costs, delays, etc.) .

THE URBAN LOGISTICS CHAIR

The Urban Logistics Chair at MINES ParisTech is a partnership built between a group of companies, public administrations and MINES ParisTech, which aims to develop operational and theoretical knowledge in the field of urban logistics. As a result the Chaire has both research and education initiatives.

This ambition is shared by a group of patrons who support the initiatives of the Chair. These partners are l’ADEME,  Groupe Pomona, Groupe La Poste,  Mairie de Paris and Renault.

The Chair offers a space for exchange, discussion and creation among the various stakeholders of urban logistics. Our ambition is to make the technical approach the common core of projects.

TECHNOLOGY: A MANDATORY APPROACH

Within the Center of Robotics at MINES ParisTech, the Urban Logistics Research Chair benefits from the technical skills in the fields of automation, optimization and robotics.

Today, the complexity of logistical exchanges requires the reconciliation of the stakes of sustainable mobility with the particularities of urban areas. To meet this challenge, we propose a practical approach based on new technologies.

The work of the Chair is in strong synergy with the 3 principles of robotics:

1. Perception: how to characterize logistic flows in urban areas and their underlying constraints, challenges and opportunities?
2. Decision: how to plan operations, pool, optimize, and reduce negative externalities?
3. Action: how to measure today’s systems, execute plans and design the future of urban logistics?