KEYSTONE Project Steering Committee and Workshop Focus on Advancing Digital Logistics in Rome
On 25 and 26 June 2025, KEYSTONE project partners united in sunny Rome, Italy, for a Steering Committee meeting, hosted by TTS Italia, a KEYSTONE project partner. The two-day meeting was split into two distinct sections, starting with a workshop titled “From Vision to Implementation: the KEYSTONE Project and the Digitalisation of the Logistics Sector.” The workshop gathered over 40 participants, including KEYSTONE project partners and stakeholders, representatives from the EFTI4EU project, and digitalisation experts from across the transport and logistics sector.
Speakers:
Prof Mauro Del Amico (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – UNIMORE)
Paulo Cantillano Lizana (Interuniversity Consortium for Optimization and Operations Research – ICOOR)
Emanuele Pugliese (Circle Group)
Fabrizio Borgogna (Gruber Logistics)
Mencarocci Roberto (RAM)
Luca Lucietti (Fit Consulting)
Participants during the KEYSTONE workshop.
Bone Francerra (Almaviva)
Prof. Mauro Del Amico from UNIMORE, the project coordinator of KEYSTONE, kicked off the workshop with an overview of the projects objectives and current progress of its two pilot cases: 1) the road-transport pilot from Northern Italy to the Port of La Spezia coordinated by Gruber Logistics, and 2) the intermodal transport pilot (road + rail) from Rotterdam Terminal with further connections to various destinations, run by to CIM Interporto di Novara.
Following, Mencarocci Roberto from RAM showcased the EFTI4EU project, which focuses on developing national and regional eFTI roadmaps to ensure the consistent implementation and integration of electronic freight transport information (eFTI) that will be implemented across EU Member States by 2027, according to the EU Regulation 2020/1056.
Another topic that was also discussed was the electronic consignment note, known as eCMR and how this digital document can facilitate real-time shipment monitoring, simplify operations, reduce administrative burdens and boost productivity.
Overall, the KEYSTONE workshop provided an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and insights on how EU-funded initiatives and stakeholders across Europe are collaborating to digitise logistics and transport, with a focus on interoperability and project synergy.
Steering Committee Meeting: Work Package (WP) Updates
Day 1
After a lunch break, the Steering Committee meeting began, and all representatives presented updates on the project's progress and next steps.
Paulo Cantillano Lizana from ICOOR shared the timeline for the final year of the project, which will focus on the release of the KEYSTONE web app and the evaluation of the two KEYSTONE pilot activities.
Dr Alexeis Garcia Pérez from Coventry University provided an update on the completion of WP1 - Gap Analysis and State of the Art, focusing on gap analysis and state-of-the-art reviews.
Zoe Petrakou (Aethon Engineering) presenting updates from WP2.
Zoe Petrakou and Charis Koutsis from Aethon Engineering outlined the next steps of WP2 - Development of the Plug & Play Framework, showcasing the ongoing work to refine the API library, including its integration and documentation. They also discussed the upcoming pilot implementations that will test and enhance the API standard and evolve it further in the coming months. Additionally, Fabrizio Camisetti from RINA presented the continued efforts to define and assess business models using tools like SWOT analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis.
The day wrapped up with a social dinner, and all partners had the opportunity to connect informally.
Day 2
Day 2 started with a presentation from Jesús Martínez from Etelätär Innovation, who shared the latest updates of WP3 - Towards Plug &Play Implementation regarding the web app design, which is now in a critical phase. The integration of the web app with the backend and external databases is ongoing, and in the upcoming period, WP3 activities will focus on completing the first round of system testing and supporting pilot launches, shifting from development to real-world validation.
Following, Fabrizio Borgogna from Gruber Logistics reported on WP4 - Piloting, that is now entering its most active phase, with pilot activities kicking off. Initial tests are scheduled, and integration with Novara’s Terminal Operating System (TOS) has already been completed. The next steps include executing and evaluating the pilot scenarios to ensure the app’s functionality in real-world logistics operations.
Paulo Cantillano Lizana from ICOOR presented the next steps for WP5 - Evaluation & Impact Assessment, focusing on evaluating the legal, ethical, and social impact of the KEYSTONE web app solution. A common evaluation framework with 15 refined KPIs has been established, and impact assessments, including cost-effectiveness and interoperability analyses, are underway. In the coming months, activities will focus on data collection from the two pilot projects. A white paper summarising regulatory gaps and a roadmap for adoption will be published at the end of the project.
Finally, Eftychia Koliou from Smart Transportation Alliance (STA) reported on WP6, covering updates on the communication, dissemination, and exploitation activities of the KEYSTONE project, and reported on the significant progress of the project over the past two years, highlighting the next steps. A key milestone will be the organisation of the project’s Final Event, scheduled for May 2026. Marko Ariano from RINA presented the steps to be followed over the next 12 months on the KEYSTONE exploitation activities, starting by finalising the Key Exploitable Results (KER) roadmaps to successfully prepare the KEYSTONE web app for real-world deployment or commercialisation. Brikena Kollici from Cefriel presented the steps to be followed to expand and sustain stakeholder engagement, and Jesús Martínez from Etelätär Innovation, responsible for market uptake activities, presented how the 10 Types of Innovation and Blue Ocean Analysis will help translate KEYSTONE activities into market-ready innovations.
As the KEYSTONE project approaches its final stage, project partners are committed to taking major steps towards the digitisation of the transport and logistics sector in Europe.
Stay tuned for further updates and developments from KEYSTONE in the coming months!
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Author: Eftychia Koliou, Smart Transportation Alliance (STA)