Data spaces offer an opportunity to boost competitiveness across all sectors, particularly in logistics and urban distribution. At present, not all operators are aware of the benefits of this technology. For this reason, Mobility LAB Vitoria-Gasteiz, one of the organisations most actively working in this field in Spain, today organised the conference ‘Data to boost intermodal logistics and urban distribution’, held at the Europa Congress Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The event provided details on how a data space works and highlighted cases where they have already been successfully implemented.

Mobility Lab has its own data space and has already taken its first significant steps, with the onboarding of the first 20 organisations to participate both as data providers and consumers. The number is expected to grow considerably in the future; indeed, it is open to all stakeholders in the mobility and logistics sector. For now, 65% of these organisations are based in Spain and 4% abroad.

This is an initiative in Álava, capitalising on the fact that “we have many companies specialising in mobility and logistics, as well as a strategic location”, explained Iñaki Gurtubai, Provincial Councillor for Equality, the Basque Language and Governance, who highlighted “the need for public authorities to invest in innovation where the private sector does not reach”.

What is a data space? Andoni Martín, head of the Digital Transformation Unit at the Álava Computing Centre, explained it using an analogy: “Airbnb rents out flats but doesn’t own any, Uber works with cars but none are its own, Google provides information supplied by others, and Meta provides content it doesn’t generate. What they all have in common is that they manage data. That is what we are talking about.” A data space “provides a secure place to exchange data”.

Iñigo Bilbao, director of Mobility LAB, outlined the four areas of work in which it operates: “A living lab (where different organisations can test their solutions, featuring eight experimentation spaces), the data space, the Mobility LAB campus (which collaborates with the Basque Country University and vocational training centres) and links with the wider ecosystem to, amongst other things, facilitate access to European funding. In addition to the Provincial Council of Álava and Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, the Foundation’s partners now include major operators such as Michelin and Kapsch, which have recently joined.

Mobility LAB is involved in various projects and use cases. Leire Balzategui, Technical Manager for Innovation, provided details on two of them: DATADUM (Data for more sustainable last-mile distribution) and DATALOG (Data for Intermodal Logistics). “Both cover the entire logistics cycle,” she noted, and seek collaboration from companies in these sectors to advance practical use cases for data spaces.

Jundiz, IN THE RAILWAY MOTORWAYS

Within this sector, there is a particularly significant development that will transform the way goods are transported. This involves rail motorways, where the Spanish operator Adif plays a key role. Antonio Aguilar, the deputy director of Freight Transport Promotion at the state-owned company, has outlined the immediate plans to make it standard practice for “lorries to board trains”. This brings numerous advantages, “especially for distances of 300–400 kilometres or more”, such as cost savings for all operators. At the same time, it requires investment, including the modification of tunnel clearance to accommodate the greater height of lorry trailers compared to containers. “With the Basque Y, the railway border will shift from Irun to Vitoria,” he explained.

Consequently, the intermodal role of Jundiz, in the Basque capital, will be crucial. It is considered one of Spain’s eight hubs, which will give it significant weight within the rail freight networks on the Iberian Peninsula. “In a few months, the Zaragoza-Madrid line will be up and running. From there, it will also be possible to connect to Vitoria, and only one tunnel between Zaragoza and Jundiz will need to be upgraded.” Other infrastructure works will also be necessary, such as the expansion of the parking area, amongst other investments.

The first round-table discussion focused on last-mile distribution. Paul Iano (Eraman Coop) spoke about the cycle logistics hub he manages in the San Martín neighbourhood of Vitoria; Regina Enrich (Eurecat) presented the GREEN-LOG project on eco-friendly, cooperative and interconnected delivery solutions; and Carolina Ciprés (Zaragoza Logistics Center) introduced the DISCO project, which supports European stakeholders in reducing their economic, social and technical dependence on private digital platforms.

In another round-table discussion, Alvaro Alcaraz (Railsider) presented a pilot case study on rail traceability that provides real-time information on the position and composition of trains and its potential for scaling up to other terminals such as Jundiz; Aristarco Tomás (Tenalach Consulting) described a logistics success story in collaboration with Freixenet, an example of how data generated from solutions applied to different types of goods can be key to operations; and Harbil Arregui (Vicomtech) explained the centre’s experience as a technology provider in two European projects involving multimodal data management and the use of data spaces for various mobility and logistics services (AUTOMOTIF and FEDORA). 

Finally, the opportunities for businesses arising from the data spaces kit, promoted by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, were presented. Antonio Alcolea, Deputy Director-General for Programmes, Governance and Promotion at the Directorate-General for Data within the Secretariat of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted how all stakeholders in logistics and mobility can benefit from the support offered by the Data Spaces Kit. With a budget of €60 million, the Ministry provides financial support to companies that connect to a data space. The deadline is 31 March, with funding of up to €30,000 available for private companies and €50,000 for public bodies.