agiplan presents study on the implementation of micro-depots

Jürgen Steinmetz, Managing Director of the IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein, recently presented the manual ‘Micro-Depots in Inter-Municipal Cooperation – From Concept to Implementation’ to NRW Transport Minister Hendrik Wüst. The study was conducted by agiplan GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML.

(Mülheim Ruhr) Traffic in cities is increasing – and since the Corona pandemic, delivery traffic due to online orders has further risen. Traffic jams, lack of parking spaces, and environmental pollution in city centers are the consequences. A potential solution to these problems is the establishment of micro-depots: These locations serve as a logistical base for courier, express, and parcel service providers. From there, the so-called last mile, in this case the route from the micro-depot to the recipient, is covered using environmentally friendly cargo bikes and electric small vehicles. This reduces traffic in city centers, as well as CO₂ emissions.

To investigate how micro-depots can be concretely established and successfully operated in the cities of Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, and Neuss, the Chamber of Commerce (IHK) Mittlerer Niederrhein commissioned a two-part study. Agiplan conducted the study together with Fraunhofer IML and published a manual with the results. It was presented on June 24, 2021, by Jürgen Steinmetz, Managing Director of the IHK Mittlerer Niederrhein, to NRW Transport Minister Hendrik Wüst.

Potentially suitable locations presented

The manual builds on the feasibility study for the development of micro-depots published in 2019. For the second part, the researchers exchanged ideas with municipalities, property owners, and parcel services. The manual presents potentially suitable locations in the individual cities and examines them economically.

“Our study shows medium-sized cities how they can effectively manage goods traffic on the last mile with the intelligent use of micro-depots, relieve traffic, and protect the climate. The cooperative operating model we recommend brings all involved municipal and private sector actors on board. In addition to local businesses, citizens benefit from reduced CO2 emissions and lower traffic volumes,” explains Dr. Christian Jacobi, Managing Partner of agiplan GmbH.

“The insights that the project on the operation of micro-depots in the Lower Rhine makes possible are of great importance for future concepts of efficient design of the last mile in logistics overall,” says Prof. Uwe Clausen, Head of the Institute at Fraunhofer IML.

The study was funded by the NRW Ministry of Transport.

Photo: © agiplan

Download the study here (click on the image):