On 22 October 2025, the IKIGAI Project took part in the international workshop “Towards Standards for the Physical Internet: Building the Foundations for Global Interoperability”, held in Brussels and co-organised by ALICE (Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe) and the POLIS network. The event was supported by Horizon Europe projects including IKIGAI, URBANE, DISCO, and Shift2Zero, and gathered key stakeholders working on the future of logistics.
The aim: to build consensus around the need for global logistics standards and accelerate the transition to the Physical Internet (PI) – a vision of fully interconnected, sustainable, and zero-emission freight transport
Driving interoperability through innovation
Representing IKIGAI, Paola Cossu, CEO of FIT Consulting and Project Coordinator, delivered a powerful presentation outlining the project’s strategic response to today’s fragmented logistics systems. She addressed the systemic challenges that hinder efficiency and sustainability: outdated processes, siloed information, lack of interoperability, over-reliance on complex technologies, and barriers to SME participation.
Cossu called for a shift from fragmented individual efforts to structured, collaborative ecosystems. She underscored that sustainability cannot be achieved without trust, governance, and shared frameworks – and that the Physical Internet is the key enabler of this transition.
Piloting solutions that align with standards
IKIGAI’s innovations are already advancing the types of solutions discussed at the workshop. Through pilot projects across Europe, IKIGAI is testing approaches such as:
- Collaborative intermodal freight (ALICE Express) using a neutral trustee model;
- Standardised modular packaging (the GS1 Smart Box) for reuse and pooling;
- A digital chain of custody for carbon emissions (Book & Claim system);
- Urban logistics pilots using parcel lockers, electric vehicles, and simulation-based planning;
- And a compliance platform for SMEs to navigate freight transport regulations more easily.
These innovations demonstrate how Physical Internet principles can be applied in real-world operations – and, importantly, how they can inform standardisation efforts at both European and global levels.
Linking research with international frameworks
The workshop also introduced key developments in global standardisation. Dr Jongkyoung Kim from Korea Conformity Laboratories presented the structure and progress of ISO TC 344 (Innovative Logistics), which includes ongoing standards on parcel lockers, unmanned stores, and micro-fulfilment. IKIGAI’s activities are strongly aligned with this technical agenda.
In parallel, Prof. Takayuki Mori, Chairman of the Japanese Physical Internet Centre, introduced the Physical Internet Maturity Model (PIMM). This new framework will enable companies to assess their PI-readiness across five dimensions – standardisation, openness, collaboration, digitalisation, and ecosystem formation. The goal is to harmonise implementation efforts globally, enabling meaningful progress from policy to practice.
IKIGAI’s work is expected to complement and feed into this model, helping ensure that maturity assessments are grounded in applied innovation and pilot insights.
A shared vision for logistics transformation
Several IKIGAI partners and Nishida Circle members – including François-Régis Le Tourneau, Rod Franklin, Eric Ballot and Sergio Barbarino – participated actively in the workshop’s breakout sessions. These discussions tackled persistent challenges in the field, from semantic interoperability and data synchronisation to physical asset standardisation and last-mile delivery.
Participants identified common issues: a lack of shared data languages, low adoption of digital tools like eFTI, fragmentation in packaging standards, and limited trust across the logistics chain. Yet they also highlighted promising strategies, including the use of AI to bridge digital silos, shared ontologies, and the need for governance structures that support open, circular logistics systems.
What’s next for IKIGAI?
The workshop confirmed a shared commitment: standardisation is essential to making the Physical Internet operational and scalable. In this context, IKIGAI will continue to:
- Contribute evidence and learnings from its pilots to inform ISO workstreams;
- Collaborate with ALICE and JPIC to support global alignment around the PIMM;
- Advance real-world implementations that demonstrate how standards can be applied for impact.
By combining strategic vision with practical experimentation, IKIGAI is helping to lay the foundation for a collaborative, digitally integrated, and zero-emission logistics ecosystem – one that turns innovation into lasting systemic change.
