Application Domains

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Operational environments for innovation

Freight transport and logistics cover a wide range of activities, actors and operating conditions. A solution that works in one environment may need to be adapted before it can be implemented in another. Application domains help identify these differences showing where innovation can create value, what conditions are needed for deployment and which stakeholders need to collaborate. To move from innovation to deployment, technologies and solutions need to be tested in real world operations before they can be scaled up.

ALICE focuses on innovation implemented by shippers, logistics service providers, transport operators, ports, hubs, terminals, infrastructure users, technology providers and other logistics stakeholders.

Main application domains

ALICE looks at application domains through four connected dimensions.

Logistics processes

Innovation is applied across key logistics processes defining where operational improvements can be made and where new solutions need to integrate with existing systems:

inbound and outbound logistics
distribution networks and groupage
full truck loads and less-than-truckload operations
e-commerce deliveries and order fulfilment
customs clearance and compliance
emissions measurement and sustainability reporting
storage, handling and transhipment
transport planning, routing and execution

These processes define where operational improvements can be made and where new solutions need to integrate with existing systems.

Transport modes and multimodal operations

Application domains include road transport, rail transport, waterborne transport, air cargo and multimodal operations, including pre- and post-carriage.

Innovation in this area supports better coordination between modes, more efficient use of corridors and hubs, and the increased use of rail and waterborne transport where they provide operational and environmental value.

Geographical scope

Logistics innovation is also shaped by geography. Each environment requires its own deployment approach, stakeholder cooperation and infrastructure readiness

long-distance freight transport
intra-European flows
urban and peri-urban logistics
rural and remote areas
ports, terminals and warehouses

Industry sectors

Application domains also reflect the needs of different sectors, including e-commerce and retail, consumer goods, healthcare and beauty, food and agriculture, automotive, electronics, chemicals, hospitality and services, and energy-related logistics such as hydrogen, e-fuels and batteries.

Sector-specific requirements influence logistics operations, from temperature control and delivery speed to safety, compliance, traceability and service reliability.

From use cases to deployment

Application domains help ALICE connect innovation with the conditions needed for real-world uptake. This includes identifying user needs, deployment barriers, investment requirements, regulatory considerations and interdependencies between stakeholders. For example, road transport electrification involves vehicles, energy systems, charging infrastructure, planning tools, logistics processes and sector-specific requirements.

By working through application domains, ALICE helps ensure that innovation is not developed in isolation, but tested against operational realities and prepared for wider adoption.

From application domains to ALICE priorities

Application domains provide the basis for ALICE roadmaps, Thematic Group and Communities activities, European projects, knowledge exchange and innovation uptake.

They help define where research and innovation should be prioritised, which stakeholders need to be involved and how project results can contribute to practical improvements in logistics performance, decarbonisation and resilience.

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