Trustee matchmaking & volume pooling

Building a collaborative ecosystem for sustainable freight

Although the Poland – Italy freight corridor carries substantial volumes, much of this traffic moves in isolation, primarily by road. Although intermodal rail services could replace many of these long-haul truck journeys, a lack of critical mass, aligned processes and common governance has limited their viability.

The ALICE Express pilot aims to overcome this challenge. Its purpose is to connect not only two countries, but also to establish a dynamic logistics ecosystem in which independent market actors can coordinate towards shared long-term objectives of faster, greener and more competitive transport. This well-functioning multimodal ecosystem will be replicated and scaled up to other European Corridors.

An ecosystem model for logistics

Rather than relying on traditional bilateral agreements, ALICE Express unites autonomous yet interdependent stakeholders, including shippers, logistics service providers and technology developers, to generate shared value. This approach is guided by three principles:

• • Attract through value: Like a coral reef, the system grows by delivering clear benefits that encourage new participants to join.
  • Orchestrate effectively: A neutral party moderates interactions to ensure objectives are aligned and collaboration runs smoothly.
  • Aim high: Efforts are focused on complex, strategically significant challenges where no single company could succeed alone.

This concept builds on an earlier success. IKEA’s flows from Poland to Spain and Inditex’s flows in the opposite direction. By pooling their volumes, the companies created a new intermodal service which has expanded from an initial trial to multiple weekly round trips.

From offline facilitation to online orchestration

Initially, ALICE Express functions as an offline trustee, safeguarding commercial data, identifying high-potential corridors, and facilitating agreements among shippers.

Under IKIGAI, however, the model will evolve into an online orchestration platform that integrates logistics service providers, enabling:

• • Real-time capacity matchmaking
  • Load synchronisation across operators
  • Prioritisation of specific cargo flows
  • Transparent governance and legal compliance

Business value

For shippers, ALICE Express can:

• • Aggregate volumes to unlock cost-effective intermodal options
  • Contribute to corporate sustainability and compliance targets
  • Increase service reliability across long-haul routes

For logistics service providers, it offers:

• • Access to consolidated demand that justifies new service launches
  • Opportunities to improve asset utilisation and network reach

In both cases, the pilot aims to reduce empty runs, optimise pre- and end-haulage, and align procurement requirements to facilitate broader adoption.

Challenges and forward path

The key identified challenges include:

• • Cost competitiveness: On certain corridors, such as Poland – Romania, intermodal transport is more expensive than road transport.
  • Commitment and governance: Stable participation, aligned tender requirements and adherence to shared rules are critical to success.

The pilot will proceed in two phases: first, mapping the business case, governance requirements and operational gaps, and then implementing and validating the model in live operations. Successful outcomes could enable replication across other European corridors