New EU project NEXTLOGIC to integrate freight and passenger transport for cleaner urban mobility

Launching in January 2026, the EU-funded NEXTLOGIC project is a four-year European initiative led by the University of Luxembourg that aims to cut transport-related emissions and advance the goals of the European Commission’s Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. The project will develop and test sustainable urban mobility and logistics solutions that better integrate freight transport with passenger mobility. 

Freight is often overlooked in city transport planning in favour of passenger mobility, notes Dr Laura Palacios-Argüello from the Luxembourg Centre for Logistics. The NEXTLOGIC project therefore seeks help cities plan how to frame logistics operations inside their urban areas to improeva accessiblity of good and people while reducing emissions. 

A consortium of 35 partners across 13 countries, including industrial and municipal actors, will work under Luxembourg’s coordination. Eight pilot cities—Dublin, The Hague, Aarhus, Wroclaw, Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Bergamo, and Differdange—have been selected from the EU’s NetZero mission cities. Each will test solutions suited to its own environmental and cultural context, serving as models for replication across Europe.

During the first six months, the project will collect data from companies and municipalities to co-develop tailored local solutions, later tested and implemented with local authorities and academic partners. Alongside practical pilots, NEXTLOGIC will also develop digital tools such as “Digital Twins” to help cities assess the likely impacts of policies before real-world rollout.

Pilot initiatives may include urban space reallocation, smart loading zones and mobile micro-hubs to support last-mile deliveries with low-emission vehicles. Aarhus, for instance, will pursue the “15-minute city” concept by transforming metro and tram stops into sustainable integrated transport hubs. 

While expectations for sustainability gains are high, researchers acknowledge the uncertainties inherent in large-scale projects, ranging from evolving technologies to shifting political conditions. Nevertheless, they see NEXTLOGIC as a unique opportunity for European cities to accelerate progress toward climate neutrality through shared experimentation and innovation.

Author: Claus Köllinger

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.