COG-LO · Project

Smart Logistics Platform That Lets Cargo Share Rides and Make Decisions

transportPilotedTRL 6

Imagine if every package, truck, and warehouse could talk to each other like people on a social network — sharing updates, finding better routes, and even hitchhiking on trucks with spare capacity. COG-LO built exactly that: a platform where logistics objects become "smart" and coordinate automatically through secure networks. Think of it as Uber-pooling for freight, combined with an AI advisor that watches traffic, weather, and delays to suggest real-time adjustments. The system was tested in real cross-country and urban delivery operations across Europe.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries involved in development and pilots

industry partners in the consortium

62%

industry participation ratio

total project deliverables produced

demo-stage deliverables with prototypes and documentation

The business problem

What needed solving

Logistics companies waste money running trucks that are partially empty on return trips, react too slowly to disruptions like traffic or weather, and struggle to coordinate across different transport modes and national borders. These inefficiencies compound across complex supply chains, eating into margins that are already razor-thin in freight transport.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a full integrated platform with APIs, including a Cargo Hitchhiking tool for matching spare truck capacity with nearby shipments, a Cognitive Advisor for real-time decision support, optimization services with documented algorithms, a blockchain-based security layer, and a Message and Service Bus for system integration — all tested in cross-country and urban logistics pilots.

Audience

Who needs this

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers looking to fill empty truck capacityUrban last-mile delivery companies facing congestion and delay problemsFreight forwarders managing intermodal shipments across European bordersRetail supply chain managers coordinating multi-country distributionPort and terminal operators seeking better cargo flow coordination

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Freight and Logistics

enterprise

Target: 3PL logistics providers and freight forwarders

If you are a logistics provider dealing with half-empty trucks on return trips and rising fuel costs — this project developed a Cargo Hitchhiking tool that matches available cargo space with nearby shipments in real time. The platform was piloted in intermodal, cross-country, and urban logistics operations across 8 European countries. It could help you fill unused truck capacity without lengthy procurement cycles.

Urban Last-Mile Delivery

SME

Target: City delivery and courier companies

If you are a last-mile delivery company struggling with congestion, missed time windows, and unpredictable delays — this project built a Cognitive Advisor with real-time context awareness that detects disruptions and suggests route changes on the fly. The optimization services were tested in urban logistics pilot operations with 16 consortium partners providing real operational data.

Supply Chain Management

enterprise

Target: Retail chains and e-commerce fulfillment centers

If you are managing complex supply chains across multiple countries and transport modes — this project created an integrated platform where every logistics actor shares status updates through secure ad-hoc networks. The system includes optimization services with documented input/output formats and APIs, tested across intermodal operations spanning 8 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this system?

The project does not publish licensing fees or implementation costs. The COG-LO platform was developed as a research prototype with documented APIs and integration guidelines. Contact the coordinator to discuss pilot licensing or commercial terms.

Can this scale to handle thousands of shipments per day?

The platform was designed for real-world logistics operations and tested in intermodal, cross-country, and urban pilot scenarios. The Message and Service Bus and optimization services were built with API-based architecture, suggesting scalability was a design consideration. Specific throughput numbers are not published in the available data.

Who owns the IP and can I license it?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020. IP is typically shared among the 16 consortium partners. The coordinator, CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI in Italy, would be the first point of contact for licensing discussions.

How does it handle data security and privacy?

A dedicated deliverable covers security, privacy, and trust mechanisms including access and usage control, cryptography, and a distributed blockchain-based infrastructure. These were developed through final-stage prototyping, indicating mature security design.

How does the Cargo Hitchhiking tool actually work?

The Cargo Hitchhiking tool matches available transport capacity with nearby shipments that need a ride. It was delivered as a prototype with API and documentation, going through both draft and final iterations during pilot testing. It connects to the broader platform through the Message and Service Bus.

Is this compatible with existing logistics software?

The COG-LO integrated platform was built with APIs and includes integration guidelines specifically for further pilot adaptations. The Message and Service Bus provides standardized data and service access mechanisms, which suggests it was designed to connect with existing systems rather than replace them.

What happened after the project ended in 2021?

Based on available project data, COG-LO completed its pilots and delivered final prototypes by September 2021. The project website at cog-lo.eu may have updates on commercialization. Follow-up with the consortium is recommended to check current status.

Consortium

Who built it

The COG-LO consortium of 16 partners from 8 countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Turkey) is heavily industry-weighted at 62% — with 10 industry partners alongside 2 universities and 2 research organizations. This strong industry presence means the tools were shaped by real operational needs, not just academic theory. The consortium is led by CNIT, an Italian interuniversity telecommunications consortium, which brings deep connectivity and IoT expertise. With only 1 SME formally listed, the consortium skews toward larger players, which is typical for logistics infrastructure projects requiring significant integration effort. The geographic spread across Southern, Central, and Southeastern Europe gives the platform multi-country logistics corridor credibility.

CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONICoordinator · IT
POSTA SLOVENIJE DOOparticipant · SI
INSTITUT JOZEF STEFANparticipant · SI
ELLINIKOS ORGANISMOS SYSTIMATON EYFYON METAFORONparticipant · EL
TRT TRASPORTI E TERRITORIO SRLparticipant · IT
SWARCO HELLAS SYSTIMATA KYKLOFORIAS ANONYMI ETAIREIAthirdparty · EL
SWARCO ITALIA SRLparticipant · IT
SINGULARLOGIC PLIROFORIAKON SYSTIMATON KAI EFARMOGON PLIROFORIKISparticipant · EL
NEC LABORATORIES EUROPE GMBHparticipant · DE
ATHENS UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS - RESEARCH CENTERparticipant · EL
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONthirdparty · EL
NETCOMPANY S.A.participant · LU

How to reach the team

Reach out to CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI (CNIT) in Italy — they led the 16-partner consortium and hold coordination rights over the platform IP.

Order a report on this consortium See CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how COG-LO's cargo hitchhiking or cognitive logistics tools could fit your operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help evaluate fit for your specific logistics challenges.

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