Frankfurt am Main (Germany):
testing scalable mobile microhubs in a major logistics city
Frankfurt is a major European logistics hub, where high delivery volumes, limited urban space and growing environmental requirements make last-mile freight increasingly difficult to manage.
Within NEXTLOGIC, Frankfurt tests mobile microhubs supported by Digital Twin technologies, exploring how zero-emission last-mile deliveries can be planned, operated and scaled in a dense metropolitan context. The pilot builds on Frankfurt’s Logistics Concept 2021 and Mobility Masterplan 2030, translating long-term urban logistics strategies into practical demonstrations that can be replicated across Europe.
A city where space is the real challenge
Frankfurt does not lack logistics demand. Its challenge is finding enough suitable space to manage deliveries differently.
Land is scarce, expensive, and heavily contested. Delivery traffic continues to increase, while environmental and climate objectives require freight operations to become cleaner and more efficient. Previous microhub initiatives have demonstrated the potential of the concept, but they have also shown that long-term success depends on governance more than technology. Sustainable business models, suitable locations and collaboration between public and private actors are all essential for wider deployment.
NEXTLOGIC addresses these challenges by combining innovative logistics infrastructure with digital planning tools, helping the city move from individual pilot projects towards a scalable urban logistics system.
The NEXTLOGIC pilot
The Frankfurt pilot focuses on the implementation of mobile and modular microhubs to support zero-emission last-mile deliveries using cargo bikes and electric vehicles.
The pilot follows a phased implementation approach. The first microhub is deployed on Deutsche Bahn (DB InfraGO) property, taking advantage of a strategically located site with excellent transport connectivity. A second location is identified during the project using insights from the first deployment, Digital Twin analyses, and collaboration with local stakeholders.
The Digital Twin supports planning, design and operational optimization, helping evaluate microhub locations, logistics flows and alternative deployment scenarios before implementation. Alongside the physical pilot, the project explores governance arrangements, stakeholder collaboration, and sustainable business models that can support wider deployment beyond the project lifetime.
Digital tools and logistics solutions
Frankfurt combines digital planning technologies with innovative urban logistics solutions.
Digital Twin
The Digital Twin supports planning, design and operational optimisation of the microhub network. By integrating mobility and logistics information into a digital environment, it enables planners to assess different deployment scenarios and improve decision-making before implementation.
Mobile microhubs
Frankfurt deploys mobile and modular microhubs that act as consolidation points to support zero-emission last-mile deliveries. Parcels and goods are transferred from conventional freight vehicles to e.g. cargo bikes, reducing delivery traffic, emissions and pressure on urban streets while improving operational efficiency.
Expected impact
Through the Frankfurt pilot, NEXTLOGIC demonstrates how flexible logistics infrastructure can contribute to cleaner and more efficient urban freight systems. How?
- Deploying and validate mobile microhubs in a dense metropolitan environment
- Supporting zero-emission last-mile deliveries through cargo-bike operations
- Optimising microhub planning and operations using Digital Twin technologies
- Exploring sustainable business models for long-term microhub deployment
- Improving collaboration between public authorities, logistics operators, infrastructure owners and other microhub users
- Providing practical knowledge to support the replication of mobile microhubs in other European cities
By combining digital technologies with innovative logistics infrastructure, Frankfurt contributes to the development of scalable and economically sustainable solutions for future urban freight systems.
Contacts
Interested in the Frankfurt pilot? For more information about the local activities, demonstration site, or opportunities to collaborate, please get in touch with the NEXTLOGIC partners coordinating the pilot.
Franziska Wouters
House of Logistics
and Mobility
Pilot lead
Fatih Aykilic
Stadt Frankfurt am Main
– Der Magistrat
City representative
Discover the other pilot cities
Frankfurt is just one of eight European Mission Cities demonstrating the NEXTLOGIC approach. Discover how the other pilot cities are developing and testing complementary solutions for smarter, greener and more efficient urban mobility and logistics.