The pilot on October 15, involved transporting a container of goods from La Spezia, the Ligurian port, to Bologna Freight Village, fully managed by Gruber Logistics.
During the testing phase several aspects were validated, including the automatic transmission of ETA data from Gruber Logistics’ TMS system to the KEYSTONE platform, the generation and sharing of the electronic consignment note (e-CMR), and the relying exclusively on electronic data exchanges between logistics operators, public platforms and control authorities.
The pilot confirmed seamless interoperability between the KEYSTONE web application and the eFTI platform, the eFTI Gate Italy node, and the Port Community System (PCS) of La Spezia, allowing data to flow automatically, reducing manual input and redundancies, and enabling control authorities to carry out faster, simpler digital checks.
This was the first time in Italy, that the entire transport process was conducted without any paper documentation.
The electronic consignment note (e-CMR) was generated, signed, shared and verified digitally, while the police and customs authorities performed checks using secure QR codes and digital connections via the national eFTI platform.
The test is part of the validation activities of the two EU-funded initiatives, eFTI4EU and KEYSTONE projects, two EU-initiatives, working towards the creation of a European network of interoperable platforms for data exchange between logistics and transport operators and enforcement authorities.
Prof. Mauro Dell’Amico, project coordinator of KEYSTONE, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, said: “As coordinators of the KEYSTONE project, we are proud to see the results of our joint efforts with industrial and institutional partners becoming tangible.
“This pilot demonstrates how research and innovation can directly contribute to a smarter, greener, and more interoperable European logistics system.
“The success of this test marks an important step towards the real implementation of digital freight transport, showing that collaboration across projects like KEYSTONE and eFTI4EU can turn the vision of seamless, paperless logistics into reality.”
Marco Manfredini, chief operating officer of Gruber Logistics, added: “This test represents a tangible milestone towards the full digitalisation of freight transport.
“We have demonstrated that the combined use of interoperable platforms and electronic documents can completely eliminate paper, improve transparency, and simplify inspections.”
Luca Abatello, CEO of Circle Group, said: “This pilot represents a concrete step forward on the path towards fully digital, interoperable and sustainable European logistics.”